Unravel
by cultvanilla
Summary: 16 years after bidding her farewell at the border, Haku found himself reunited with Chihiro at the banks of his river, close to death.
1. Chapter 1: Dreams are dangerous

**Chapter 1: Dreams Are Dangerous**

Setting his porcelain teacup on the tray, Haku turned his gaze to the witch before him. The witch Zeniba had a disproportionate head, a stout body, and large piercing eyes. With a flick of her finger, she lit the fireplace and moved to sit across Haku in his office.

"How is the situation with the bathhouse?" Zeniba's voice crackled, "are you holding up alright?"

"I make sure to entertain at least two different merchants each week here — full expenses paid for," Haku replied, "I suppose building these relationships will take time but I think we're getting somewhere."

"Funny how these damned merchants trust my blackhearted sister more than they trust you," Zeniba rolled her eyes, "being good sure doesn't earn much rewards in the spirit realm."

"Well if we're all so pure I'm sure the bathhouse will go out of business," Haku smirked, "we couldn't have become the largest bathhouse in all of the spirit realm if it weren't for dirty, black-hearted spirits."

"Some of these damned spirits need more than a cleanse. They need to be purged," Zeniba smiled wickedly at her twisted little joke as she sipped her tea. Staring into the fireplace, the reflection of the flames flickered in her eyes. The early mornings were becoming cooler as autumn colours were slowly fading into winter tones. These colder seasons were her favourite. It was not because of the festivities, rather, it was because it was the only time the spirit realm showed its true colours - cold, harsh, and unforgiving.

Haku watched the witch's expression change into a look of nostalgia as she stared at the fire.

"What is it?" He implored.

The fire reminded her of someone she once met 16 years ago. The girl was warm, kind, determined and possessed the sort of love that had melted her 80 000 year old heart.

_Chihiro. _Zeniba shook her head and sighed deeply.

"And how are those dreams you've been having?" She asked Haku, without turning her gaze away from the fireplace.

Haku's eyes dropped to his desk immediately. It was a sensitive topic but he trusted Zeniba and she was the only person who knew about this problem.

"I can't keep them out. I've been having them more frequently as of late." He admitted quietly.

"And they all end in the same way…?" Without turning from the fireplace, she cast a sidelong glance at him. Haku nodded his head solemnly and knew immediately what Zeniba was going to suggest.

"I'm not drinking the potion," he interjected immediately, his hands wrapped around his porcelain cup tightly.

"Haku, dreams are dangerous-" Zeniba retorted.

"Yes, even the weakest of all spirits know that. I don't need you to educate me on this-," Haku's grip on the cup tightened, the whites of his knuckles were beginning to show.

"It bends reality Haku!" Zeniba shouted, "Not just your reality - damn YOUR reality - I'm concerned about HER reality."

Haku couldn't come up with a response to that. Feeling the tension build up within, he couldn't keep the pressure down any longer. "These memories of her are all I have!" He hissed and the teacup in his hands shattered into a thousand pieces.

A moment of silence passed between the two as the broken pieces floated from where they lay, putting themselves back into place again. Zeniba walked towards the balcony, staring into the pink skyline, the edges of the sun making its first appearance. Spirits were fast going to sleep and the river separating the spirit realm from the human realm was turning into a wide grassy field.

"Then keep those dreams of yours under control," Zeniba spoke softly, "don't let it control you." With that, she dived over the railings and disappeared into thin air.

Haku looked over to the balcony from his seat and felt a deep sense of emptiness within him. He had riches and power - he even had his name back. And yet…

As the sun began to rise and the spirit realm turned deadly silent, Haku changed into a dark silk robe and slipped into bed. He yearned to see her again, but not like in his dreams.

* * *

/

Perhaps it was the way she stepped into the river - always carefully, her toes grazing the surface. Or perhaps it was the way her kimono fanned out, before the water claimed its every fibre and soaked it till the salmon colour darkened into a creamy rouge. It was dark but the moonlight illuminated her smile as she walked into his calm waters.

"Haku," she whispered his name like a love song and the water responded to her. _He_ responded to her. As she stepped deeper into his element, he could feel the curve of her thighs and the taste her skin. Every atom of his being was drawn to her and so, he let his currents wrap around her in an embrace.

_Chihiro_. His currents clung to her, nudging her to come closer, to step in deeper. It wanted to hold her. He wanted to hold her, feel her human warmth and keep her safe with him.

"Haku," she whispered. His waters were well above her chest and he could feel her heart beat.

_My love. _He wanted nothing more than to keep her safe in his depths. He wanted to feel every part of her being, to memorise every curve of her body.

"Haku, no…" Her legs started to kick a little at first, and then rapidly. She kicked against his currents, pushing him away.

_No? You're mine. You're mine._ He was desperate to hold her but she was fighting him.

_Why, Chihiro?_ She was kicking frantically now while her arms swung in wild directions. Her panic rippled with urgency through his being and the urge to keep her safe was even stronger. He wanted to keep her near, he needed to keep her safe in his depths.

"Haku NO-" she shrieked before her voice was cut short with a gurgle. Chihiro was sucked into the abyss of his love, his deep deep longing for her…

/

* * *

Haku sat up with a jolt, woken up by a piercing pain in his chest. It was that dream again, he probably had this dream a thousand times. The details were different but in the end, Chihiro always died. Always drowned.

Sweat trickled down his temples as he got up from his office chair to pour himself a hot cup of tea. Although nothing could wash away the vile taste of seeing her drown in his depths, the light fragrance of peach tea ground him to reality.

With a snap of his fingers, he cast a spell into the hot drink. Dreams were dangerous. Zeniba had warned him many times before. But he couldn't let go of her. He couldn't bring himself to drink the potion and suppress these memories. Memories are powerful and even the strongest of magic can't completely wipe it away from the mind. But that isn't the point - Haku wanted to keep her close to him, to think about her and not bury her deep into the abyss of his subconscious. If only he could do that without having these nightmares. He cast a spell in his tea to ease the effects of his palpitating heart.

"It was just a dream. It was just a dream," his heart was still pounding but Haku kept repeating those words like it was a desperate prayer as his hands scrunched into a fist on his chest. The room was spinning and Haku clumsily staggered back into the office. He sunk back into his office chair, where he had fallen asleep halfway sorting out endless reports.

The effects of his spiked tea calmed his palpitating heart. But something still felt wrong. There was a nagging urgency at the back of his mind he couldn't seem to put a finger on. Haku ran a hand through his mossy sweat-slicked hair as he looked up from his desk. His eyes squinted, his vision blurred.

Before he knew it, the walls of the room seemed to collapse on him. The tea, despite his magic, was not helping anymore. Instead, the pressure in his mind was getting stronger and Haku buried his face into his hands. Holding onto the edges of the table, Haku felt as though his mind was about to split in half. His teeth clenched in excruciating pain. He had many nightmares but none threw him into a frenzy like this before.

Suddenly, his eyes opened. There could only be one explanation for his splitting headache. An intruder has entered into the spirit world. No, someone not of this world forced into this plane.

"Damn it. Damn it DAMN IT!" Haku immediately shifted into his dragon form and took flight to his river, raining scales along the way.

_This can't be true. Please tell me it's not…_

Haku flew as quickly as he could to his river. From a few kilometres in the air, he spotted a limp brunette lying upon his banks. Her body was unmoving and his river lapped against the shore, toying with the ends of her hair. Speeding towards the motionless figure, he could hear his heart palpitating in his ears.

"Chihiro?" He gasped as he landed, desperately cradling her into his arms.

He shook her shoulders, hoping that she would wake - nothing.

He pressed his head onto her chest. Still nothing. Above her head, he could see her life force losing its vitality, her aura fading away.

Magic was powerful but not invincible. Not nearly enough to hold off the powerful arms of death.

Unless…unless…

He leaned into her hesitantly before smashing his mouth against hers.

He stared at his river, scared to his wits.

This was not a dream. Not anymore.


	2. Chapter 2: The Great Vast Blue

**Chapter 2: The Great Vast Blue**

Rin hurried about the day with a long list of to-do list and an even longer train of thought in her mind. The sable spirit was never meticulous to begin with but her running thoughts were making it even more difficult for her to focus on her job.

"CLANK!" She knocked over a tea pot for the fourth time today. Rolling her eyes, Rin quickly cleaned up the mess.

"What's up with you today?" a frog spirit asked, "you're clumsier than usual."

"It was just a small mistake!" Rin snapped back, her large dark eyes shooting the spirit a dirty look. She wasn't exceptionally tall but she was at least twice the height of the stout frog spirit who was cowering away from her wrath.

As the night wore on, the bathhouse soon quietened and Rin finally finished checking on the last of the guests. It was handwork covering for Haku, who usually handled the hospitality side of things and understandably so. The dragon was the master of the bathhouse and had quite the charm, too.

As Rin walked back to her dorm, she could feel the anxiety in her heart building up. In the early hours of the morning, Haku had dragged her consciousness awake with his magic and imprinted the image of a human girl in his arms. She didn't understand at first, and was quite frankly on the verge of cursing the damned dragon for waking her up at ungodly hours. She didn't need to know about the next wrench that was throwing herself at the bathhouse master. But the image of the human girl seemed oddly familiar. She was a girl with dark, chin-length hair and had a gentle expression that radiated warmth and… and… what's that word again? Love! She radiated love. It was then that she knew… _Chihiro is back._

Slipping into her dorm room, Rin made sure not to wake anyone as she took a set of fresh clothes. After changing into her purple casual robes, Rin undid her hair and brushed it through thoroughly. She took a deep breath as she stared at the first glint of light in the horizon. The next few days - no, maybe even weeks or months - were going to be hard. It could have been 16 years since the first time Chihiro stumbled into the spirit realm, but it didn't matter whether you're 10 or 26 - the spirit realm was no place for a human. Gathering her long waist long hair into a low ponytail, Rin mentally prepared herself to see the human girl again.

"Is she still sleeping?" Rin whispered as she entered into Haku's room. Haku startled awake and nearly fell over the side of the chair. He had been sitting beside Chihiro all night and the sun was about to rise.

"You're going to die from exhaustion if you don't get some rest," Rin scowled at the dragon.

Haku said nothing in return. Taking the damp towel at the bedside, Haku dabbed Chihiro's brows as he stared at her half opened mouth. He couldn't seem to tear himself away from the sleeping girl. It had been close to 20 hours since he found her lying on the banks of his river. It was by sheer luck that he got to her before her life force completely dwindled away.

"I did this. I need to be with her," Haku's tired voice crackled. Chihiro's chest rose and fell with small, shallow breaths. She should have been awake by now. Haku cradled one of her little hands in his, more so to hold on to her than to warm her cold palm.

"Look, you need to pull yourself together," Rin demanded in a low voice, hoping not to let anyone overhear the conversation, "I'll take care of her for now - god knows your health is going to have a direct impact on her!" A moment passed before Haku looked over at Rin, his eyes rimmed and weary.

"You're right," he whispered reluctantly, more to himself. Taking one last look at the human girl lying motionless in his bed, he stood up and took his leave and Rin side-stepped to take his seat.

Haku had a tall and lean build. He carried himself with grace, as any master of a bathhouse should. But right now, as he walked towards the door, Rin could see the weight of the world on his slouching shoulders.

Turning back to the sleeping girl, Rin said a prayer.

* * *

Making his way to the lower floors at the boiler room, Haku found Kamaji still hard at work. The sun was peaking through and daytime marked the hours for spirits find rest but at the bathhouse, rest for the boiler man only came when the sun was hanging high up in the sky. There was never a shortage of guests at the bathhouse.

Turning to look at the sliding doors, Kamaji saw a sleep deprived Haku make his way in. From the look of the bathhouse master's face, he knew something was up.

"Good evening, Kamaji, how have things been down here?" Haku asked, more as a polite greeting.

"Same old. You know how things are," Kamaji chuckled as one of his eight hands reached over to his black tea pot.

"Have some tea," Kamaji offered, pouring hot green tea into a small teacup. Haku took it with a nod and downed it as he threw his head back. Sitting on the floorboards, Haku inhaled the steamy hot air of the boiler room with a long deep breath. Not many people come down here because of the stuffy air but it was in this little space where he could be alone and have some peace and quiet.

Kamaji threw Haku a glance.

"There's something going on and I need you to keep this a secret," Haku spoke plainly.

_I… Well, I…_ he couldn't bring himself to say it. He didn't quite know how to put it into words. The sound of staff moving about on top told him that this wasn't a good time, or place, to talk about this either. Haku stared deep into Kamaji's eyes and thought at him instead.

The old man's brows shot up momentarily. He didn't speak and the two men shared a moment of silence.

_It's Chihiro. Something's happened and… she's here. She's in my bed, unconscious. I'm trying everything I can. I can't say more than that, for now… _Haku shut his eyes and let the thought sink in for the both of them. _She's back._

Kamaji cleared his throat and heaved a heavy sigh. Turning back to work, he

"you can sleep here for now," he grunted, "but make sure you call Zeniba first thing tomorrow."

Haku nodded his head in understanding.

He lay his head on the floor boards and sleep caught him more quickly than he expected. _Chihiro… Chihiro… Chihiro…_

* * *

_Chihiro…Here. Over here. I'll keep you safe._

"What? Where am I?" Chihiro mouthed. It was difficult to speak. Difficult to move, even. Her body was suspended in an expanse of blue. Although she wasn't submerged, all she could think of was:

Water. So much water.

Chihiro was surprised she could even breathe, although she didn't seem to have full control over her body. Her hands reach out as she tried to make sense of where she was. Although the foreignness of this strange place made her anxious, she felt totally calm at the same time. She didn't know why but she knew she was safe. Thoughts not her own were appearing in her mind as she was rocked back and forth by the currents of this strange dimension.

_Chihiro, over here. Chihiro, let me keep you safe._

"Who are you? Where am I…"

_Chihiro… Chihiro…_


	3. Chapter 3: Taboo

**Chapter 3: Taboo**

Rin sat back down on the chair again with a cup of tea in her hands. Besides delivering the nightly reports to Haku at the end of her rounds, she rarely entered this part of the bathhouse. Even when she had a private meeting with him, they stayed in the lounge area, where his desk was. Haku was a private person and never liked anyone coming into his quarters, especially the bedroom. It was strictly out of bounds.

_Well, if it weren't for you, Chihiro, I don't think I would've even taken half a step in here. _Rin surveyed the room with curious eyes and was pleasantly surprised that the room was decorated with little trinkets and ornaments. It was somewhat pleasant to know that her stony-faced employer had some kind of a personality after all. Her wondering eyes looked about her and travelled back to the sleeping human girl, lying motionless in Haku's futon.

She had been lying completely still for close to two days now and should have woken up a hours ago. As Rin studied the girl, she thought she saw Chihiro's lips move, as though she were mouthing words. Thinking that her eyes were playing tricks on her, Rin leaned in closer to the girl and then she saw it — a small smile tugged at the corner of Chihiro's lips.

"You're still smiling when you're on the brink of death!" Rin exclaimed as she ran her fingers through Chihiro's soft hair. "Only a silly klutz like you would stumble into this horrid place twice in a lifetime," she said under her breath, feeling both happy and sad to see her old friend back at the bathhouse again.

_That damn Haku better find a quick solution to this if he really wants to keep her alive. _Rin stared out into the barren night sky. The moon hung high above, keeping every being under its watchful eye, under its unfeeling gaze. The spirit world is an unforgiving place.

As Rin leant in to tuck the blankets over Chihiro's shoulders, her eyes widened. Haku's unmistakable fresh mossy scent intermingled with her musky human scent.

"Damn you Haku, you bound yourself to her?" Rin muttered under her breath, "you bound yourself to a human?"

* * *

Before the bleeding sun took its leave, Haku rose and stealthily slipped into his room. He didn't want to raise any suspicion, especially in the bathhouse, where word spread fast and gossips are rampant. Hoping that no one caught him sleeping in the boiler room, Haku took on his dragon form and flew up into his room instead. Landing softly on the balcony, he caught Chihiro's scent wafting towards him from the bedroom.

_That's something I need to take care of before anyone finds out she's here. _

The light curtains billowed in the cold dusk wind. As it fanned apart, it revealed the soft face of a human woman sleeping in his large bed. Haku was caught off guard. He stood at the balcony, just staring at the face he had been missing for the past 16 years.

"Quit ogling and come in!" Rin shushed at the dragon. The spell between him and Chihiro was instantly broken and Haku snapped out of his stupor.

"You have a lot of explaining to do. Like her scent- "

"I know. Keep your voice down!" Haku pressed a finger to his lips.

"She carries your scent Haku! You bound yourself to her? You can't just hide her here forever!" Rin threw her hands in frustration and stomped towards the dragon man who suddenly found interest in the linings of his carpet.

Haku lay a tender look at Chihiro and turned his gaze to Rin. He knew the severity of what he had done. Harbouring a human was a serious offence, but what he's done to her at the banks of his river… it could cost both him and Chihiro their very lives.

"Get Zeniba. Ask her to come quickly," Haku muttered under his breath.

"The witch? She gives me the creeps!" Rin cringed.

"Just do as I say," Haku turned away from Rin and sat on the edge of the bed, next to Chihiro.

Rin nodded and walked off. Haku cast a quick spell over the sleeping human. He needed to mask her scent if he wanted to keep her safe but this spell was only temporary.

Chihiro had not moved, not one bit. Although he had managed to keep her alive, he wasn't sure if she was ever going to wake. And if she didn't… Haku decided to keep his mind off the worst possible scenario. He got up and changed into his usual robes. It was white with turquoise trimmings - simple yet regal, the perfect image the master of a bathhouse should have.

As much as he wanted to stay by Chihiro's side, sitting by the futon wasn't going to help at all. Quietly, he headed to his work area and closed his bedroom door behind him. Lighting a cigar, Haku sat at his desk and smoked as he tackled the stack of paperwork before him.

As he got to work, he tried to forget about the human girl lying in his bed. He signed off letters and checked the accounts but it was as though his hands were moving on their own, his mind elsewhere. The moment he found Chihiro lying at his banks he knew he was done for. He couldn't bring himself to leave her and let her soul float away but neither could he bring himself to finish her himself.

He loved her. He longed for her. And it was exactly this deep longing that brought him to the mess he's created. The only person who knew enough magic to give him counsel was Zeniba. Just then, his scattered thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Haku rose from his seat and transported towards the door in a second, the gust of wind caused a few pieces papers to float to the ground.

"Zen-" He slid open the door, expecting the witch but cut himself short when he saw Aogeru, the frog spirit, before him.

"Aogeru," he straightened. Aogeru looked slightly shell shocked to see his master open the door so suddenly but recovered quickly enough.

"Master Haku, I hope I wasn't intruding," he bowed, "Lady Kaeda, the angelfish spirit of the South, has arrived."

"I see," Haku nodded. The angelfish spirit was an important guest. "Give her a room on the 8th level. The one facing the sea. She enjoys a view. And send 3 of our best Yunas to draw her a bath."

Aogeru spoke nothing. He remained still and an awkward moment passed. "We've already made these arrangements," he started, "but she said she wasn't in the mood…"

Haku raised a brow at the stuttering frog.

"Lady Kaeda asked of _your_ service," Aogeru cast a quick glance upwards at the bathhouse master who was towering above him before lowering his eyes to his feet.

Haku knew what that meant. A moment passed before Haku replied, "very well. Let her know I will be there in a minute." Haku slid the door shut and took a deep breath. He took one last glance at the little human lying in his bed. He didn't mind entertaining his guests, especially distinguished guests who were important business partners. As the master of the bathhouse, it was part of his duties. What he hated was performing _unique_ services for some of his female guests. But, that too, was part of his duties. Haku was a powerful spirit and the master of one of the greatest bathhouse in all of the Spirit World but more often than not, he found his hands tied. He needed to do what he had to do. Straightening his robe, Haku slid out of the room quietly without waking the human girl.

It was 9 in the evening and the busyness of the bathhouse was in full swing. Spirits were busy at their stations, serving other spirits in need of cleansing. As Haku stepped out of the elevator at the 8th floor, he caught a plump catfish spirit balancing two trays of dirty dishes on her fins. One glance and he knew those were from _the guest_ on the 8th floor.

"Master Haku," his workers greeted him and he gave them a slight nod as he swiftly walked down the corridor. Making a right turn at the corner, Haku knocked on door 858 and heard soft footsteps approaching.

_"_Kohaku, it's so nice to see you." Kaeda cooed as she slid the door open. Stepping in quickly and sliding the door closed behind him, Haku turned around and found himself a mere inch away from the lady.

A short moment of silence passed between the two and Kaeda let her robe fall to the ground, revealing her bare, naked body. Her eyes never left Haku's and he looked upon her ravishing face, expressionless.

"It's always an honour to have you with us," Haku's smooth tenor voice chimed. "Shall we begin?" He asked and motioned her towards the massage table.


	4. Chapter 4: The Heart Stirs

_Note: This is a slightly longer chapter. I'm not sure if it's too long winded. I hope not._

**Chapter 3: The Heart Stirs**

Rin was a hard worker. Although she fumbled a lot, she was trustworthy and that was exactly why Haku appointed her to be the Head of Operations. Sometimes, the work can be overwhelming but life in the bathhouse has improved tremendously ever since Haku took over. Yubaba was a terrible witch and slaving under her authority made life dreadful. She forgot her name, forgot her history, and lived as though the bathhouse was the only thing she had.

_But then one day, a scrawny little girl turned up and flipped the table on the witch…_Rin could still remember how Chihiro looked like the first day she was here - klutzy and scared to the bones. A small smile appeared on Rin's almond-shaped face as she recalled Chihiro's time with them 16 years ago.

"Mistress Rin, Lady Kaeda wishes to be served her tea now," a meek door mouse spirit whispered in Rin's ear.

Rin nodded and understood what that meant. The angelfish was here for a visit and that only meant two things: firstly, she's here to discuss business with Haku. Secondly, she's here _for_ Haku.

"That wench came all the way from down South to sign a few papers again? Everyone knows that's just a silly excuse," Rin snorted, keeping her thoughts to herself. It was probably common knowledge that beautiful daughters of rich merchants in the spirit world are vying for Haku's favour. And why wouldn't they? The master of the bathhouse was a powerful dragon, 6 578 years old and in his prime.

Rin put the used dishes back into the shelf while waiting for the water to boil. Situated in the basement, the pantry had a narrow space and Rin's careless movements knocked down a whole jar of utensils. Spoons and chopsticks scattered onto the floor with a series of loud clangs.

"Shoot!" Rin muttered to herself and bent over to clear up the mess she's created.

"Drawing baths for stink spirits are the worst!" Rin overheard the shrill voices of a few passing Yunas.

"It's not like we get to choose who we bathe," replied one of them, "but if you could choose, who would you draw a bath for?"

"Well, I'd say the guardian spirit of Mount Fukuma," one of the Yunas giggled, "but honestly… I'd kill to draw Master Haku a bath."

"I can see why! He's got such a tight ass," The trio burst into laughter and their squealing voices faded into the busyness of the higher floors above.

Rolling her eyes, Rin emerged from behind the counter and put the utensils back in place, "you'll draw Master Haku a bath the day Hell freezes over." Clearly, Haku's power and position was not the only reason why females from high places have been flocking all the way to the East for a bath.

On her way up in the elevator, Rin checked the tea tray she was holding for the third time. Lady Kaeda isn't one to voice her displeasures but one could often sense her annoyance easily when her expectations are not met. Giving herself a quick sniff over, Rin made sure there was no trace of "human" on her. She tucked a stray strand of her chocolate hair behind her ear and knocked on the door.

Almost too quickly, the door slid open and Haku stood right in front of her.

"Oh, that must be my tea," Rin could hear Kaeda's mellow voice calling from inside. A voluptuous slim figure clad in nothing but a luxurious bathrobe appeared behind Haku's tall figure, "I like to have a little something to top off the most sensuous experience." She gave Haku a wink as she took the tray from Rin's hands.

The exchange of looks between Rin and Haku was not missed.

"Is something the matter?" Kaeda asked curiously.

Haku immediately turned his attention back to his guest, "It's nothing-"

"No, it's not nothing" Rin bit back.

"What's the matter Kohaku? You know you can tell me everything," she smiled sweetly at him, "we are, after all good friends and business partners."

"We just have some _disagreements_, that's all" Haku said as he shot Rin a hard look.

"About what?" Kaeda probed.

"You know, the usual," Rin sighed, "how the bathhouse should run. The way things… should be handled." She rolled her eyes at Haku. The dragon knew she was hinting at the sleeping human girl upstairs, in his bed.

"Thanks Rin, for the tea. We'll speak later when we have time," Haku responded coldly, his hand on the door, ready to leave the conversation as that. Rin took a deep bow and excused herself before Haku slid the door close.

"Come here, Kohaku, enjoy this tea with me. Why you run this business with someone you can't get along with is beyond me. If you ever need a new partner, you know you can look for me."

As their voice faded, Rin ran downstairs to the boiler room. If there was anyone in the bathhouse she could be completely open to, it was Kamaji.

* * *

"Can you believe this SHIT?" Rin shouted and the susuwatari scrambled back to their hiding places beneath the floorboards.

"Shh! do you want everyone to know?" Kamaji hushed. "And don't you slack off, it's not lunch until two hours later!" He turned around, scolding the retreating susuwatari.

Although Kamaji had a temper that matched the temperature of the boiler room, Rin enjoyed talking to him. The eight-limbed man doesn't gossip and when he spoke, he was always frank and honest. Rin knew she could count on him, and so did Haku.

"It's not easy running a bathhouse," Kamaji spoke up, after a moment of silence. "It's not like he chose to run this place anyway, you know that."

"Yea… I know," Rin admitted reluctantly. "That damn Yubaba was so mad when he told her he wanted to be free."

"I was so happy for Haku. God of the Kohaku river! Who would have known, eh?"Kamaji chuckled lightly.

"He couldn't outsmart that big headed witch, though. She freed him from her control but bound him to the bathhouse," Rin belched.

"He bargained for Chihiro's freedom with his own life," Kamaji sighed, "young silly lizard knows more about love than an old spirit like me, eh?"

_Love…_ Rin furrowed her brows. _What is love? _

"Still, stupid lizard is playing a game of intrigue with the ladies of our land," Rin spat in disgust as images of female spirits throwing themselves at Haku came to her mind.

"He can be a stupid piece of shit, I agree, especially when it came to Chihiro," Kamaji replied, "but believe it or not, I think he's doing the best he can… in his own twisted way."

Rin sat down on the floor boards and closed her eyes. She hated to admit it, but she knew what Kamaji said was true.

* * *

The moonlight shone through the opened balcony doors and illuminated the small table in the middle of the room. With winter around the corner, nights were becoming a little too cold for open balconies but Kaeda loved to enjoy the view over a hot pot of Hojicha. Gathering her hair over her right shoulder, Kaeda poured the roasted tea for herself and Haku.

"I love this bathhouse, especially after the ownership was transferred to you," Kaeda took a sip of tea and glanced over at Haku, sitting across her.

"Thank you, I'm glad our services are up to your expectations," Haku nodded politely, taking a sip of tea as well. "I hope this means you're willing to renew our trading terms?"

"Of course! Don't you have faith in our relationship?" Kaeda smiled sweetly at Haku over her shoulder. Her loose bathrobe was slipping off but it didn't seem to bother her.

"You know I trust you, Kaeda," Haku gave a small smile as he tried to be polite to his guest. He knew Kaeda didn't just come to the bathhouse to reestablish business ties. In fact, she has been quite open about her inclinations towards him but he never held any feelings for her. It wasn't because Kaeda was unattractive — she was was a beautiful spirit. She had a curvaceous body, which Haku was quite familiar with, and exuded elegance. But, like many spirits in power, Haku found the airs she put on annoying and couldn't picture himself spending the rest of eternity with someone like her. Nodding and laughing at the appropriate moments, Haku wasn't really following the conversation at hand. It wasn't important anyway, nothing mattered more than the little human girl four floors above them. The human girl who gave him back his name.

"…The son of the Western merchant came to me again," Kaeda took a sideways glance at Haku. "He gave me a jade bangle but I told him I already have one from you."

"Well, that's very generous of him," Haku knew Kaeda was trying to draw a response from him, "let me see the one I gifted you the last matsuri won't you?"

Kaeda pulled up her sleeve and reached her hand over to Haku. With her head resting on her other hand, she took in Haku's sharp handsome features as his face leaned closer to examine the bangle. Shifting his position, Haku took her wrist in his hands and put up with pretences.

Just as Haku was about to make a comment on how the bangle matched her mossy green hair, he felt a slight tug in his chest. "It… looks lovely, really," Haku managed unconvincingly, feeling every fibre of his being telling him to go. _It's Chihiro. GO. IMMEDIATELY._ But he couldn't leave now, especially if he wanted to keep Chihiro a secret.

Kaeda frowned at Haku's half-hearted response and pouted, "well… if you say so."

Realising that he needed to keep up with his act in order to keep Chihiro safe, Haku tried his best to ignore that pressure building up in his chest. "Kaeda… if you want a new bangle, you need only ask and I'll gift you one as soon as I can." He charmed.

"Oh, Kohaku, you don't have to…"A tinge of pink appeared on Kaeda's fair porcelain complexion. At this point, the sensation in Haku's chest was getting increasingly painful. Beads of sweat were appearing at Haku's temples and the dragon was finding it difficult to keep calm.

"Haku…are you alright? You look deathly pale!" Kaeda held Haku's face in her hands. Haku smiled weakly at her while he gently removed her hands away and cradled them in his hands. He was in no mood to continue this game with Kaeda but he needed to get away from her without arousing any suspicion.

"You know, I think the witch Zeniba is here and I should probably go and talk to her about this," he was surprised he could still keep his tone low and calm when everything else in his being is screaming at him to go to Chihiro immediately.

"Alright, please take care of yourself Kohaku…" Kaeda whispered.

Haku nodded in response, took a deep bow and excused himself. The pain was unbearable and he was starting to feel emotions not his own. He knew what that meant.

Chihiro is awake.

* * *

_Chihiro… I love you, Chihiro…_

"Will you tell me where I am?" Chihiro asked the expanse of blue surrounding her.

_I've waited so long to hold you…_

Chihiro had lost all sense of time but she had a feeling she had been floating in the currents of this strange dimension for quite a while. "How do you know who I am?" She asked.

_I know everything about you… I yearn for you… Please come back to me. _

A wave of melancholy washed over Chihiro and she knew, somehow, that these emotions were not her own. Whatever this deep deep blue was, it was scared. It was anxious. And it… and it… it loved her.

"I'm here. Please don't cry," Chihiro let her fingers caress the currents as she reached her hands out, "I'm here"

"I'm here… I'm here…" Chihiro kept muttering, "I'm here." Slowly, the heavy sadness was lifted and she felt the blue fading away. It receded, gently, like lapping waves of a river. Gradually, the blue faded away and she felt as though she were washed ashore.

Drowsily, Chihiro turned her head to look around her but saw no one. _My ears must be playing tricks on me…_ She warily sunk deeper in bed and covered the blanket over her face.

But she realised that those weren't her blankets. Nor was this her bed. With a rising sense of panic, she sat up straight and surveyed the traditional room she was in.

"My god. Is this another dream?"


	5. Chapter 5: A New Name

**Chapter 5: A New Name**

She wasn't sure what it was about him. Something about this hauntingly beautiful man standing before her was disconcerting yet comforting at the same time. She wanted to shun his piercing gaze but she couldn't stop marvelling at his emerald eyes. She wanted to hide from his imposing demeanour yet she felt the urge to run up to him and tell him… tell him… tell him what?

"I'm sorry," the words tumbled out of her half-open mouth before she knew what she was saying. A tear rolled down the corner of her eye and Chihiro absentmindedly brushed it away with the back of her had. _Why am I crying?_ She couldn't understand what was happening to her.

"I'm sorry," the quiet words rang loud in Haku's ears and shook his world. _No, please, don't be. It's me._ he wanted to run over and hold her. _I'm sorry. It's me, it's… _But the dragon man stood still, rooted to the ground as though he were frozen in time.

Chihiro's short, messy hair fanned out around her face. Her dark wide eyes betrayed her confusion as she stared agape at Haku. Her skin looked tired and dull and her eyes were red-rimmed. But despite her dishevelled appearance, she was still perfect to Haku. She had the most adorable slightly upturned little nose and puckered lips that reminded him of a tulip in half bloom. She had lost her baby fat and her jawline framed her delicate face. He loved the feminine features that have developed since the last time they've met.

Composing himself, Haku walked towards the girl he had yearned for for so long. He could feel her feelings as though it were his own through the connection he built within her at the banks of his river. Her fear, her confusion, beneath that a dull sense of sadness. and… and… there was something else in the layers of emotions…something warm, but he couldn't seem to reach it.

"Took you long enough to drag your ass from Kaeda's room here," an old witch with a gigantic head appeared next to him. And in an instant, the spell between Chihiro and Haku was broken. Zeniba walked towards Haku, blocking his view of the human girl and glared deep into his eyes.

_WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, DRAGON?_ The witch thought at him. Haku knew what she meant - the witch could sense his scent emanating off the human girl.

"Wh-when did you arrive?" Haku asked, trying to evade the question.

"Well, just a few moments ago, really. Chihiro's a little tired. Let's give her a little bit of space for a while shall we-" Zeniba chirped cheerily, turning around to face Chihiro with a forced smile.

"No please don't leave me again." Chihiro reached out to grab Haku's sleeves but caught herself halfway.

"Again?" The witch raised a brow at her.

"I mean, please don't leave me," Chihiro spoke quietly, starring at the blankets. "I'm sorry I'm just… I must have caused you quite a bit of trouble."

"Oh! Dear, you're no trouble at all," Zeniba rushed over to her and sat at edge of the bed, "darling, my name is Zeniba and I'm here to help you." Chihiro ogled at the strange, disproportionate witch and gulped. It wasn't just her enormous head and short body that threw her off, it was also her impossibly large eyes and the wart on her forehead that was making her feel nervous. However, despite Zeniba's strange appearance, Chihiro felt like she could trust this strange old woman. A small smile tucked the edge of Chihiro's lips and she began to relax a little.

Feeling the shift in Chihiro's mood within him, Haku excused himself to make the weary girl a hot cup of tea. He wanted to cast a spell and make her feel better but his instincts told him that openly performing magic in front of her right now wasn't a good idea. Instead, he decided that a warm cup of 'spiked' tea might do her more good for now.

As Haku was preparing a pot of peppermint tea and some biscuits, a thousand thoughts were racing through his mind. He was so preoccupied with worrying over when she would wake that he had forgotten the other trickier problems he needed to deal with in order to keep her alive in this plane.

"And just how much more honey are you going to add into that?" Zeniba's crackly voice brought Haku back to reality.

"Oh, shit!" Honey was spilling over the brim of the teacup, spilling onto the tray and even drenching some of the biscuits. Haku rolled his eyes at the mess he's made. With a snap of his fingers, honey flowed backwards into the jar where it was from and his utensils were clean again.

"Let me do this," Zeniba said, knowing what Haku was doing with the tea, "go speak with her. We will talk later."

Stepping back into the room, Haku sat next to his futon, close to Chihiro. Clearing his throat, a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips, "it must have been difficult for you… I'm Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi, master of the bathhouse. The staff call me master Haku."

"It's nice to meet you, master Haku and I'm thankful that you've given me so much help," Chihiro replied with a quiet voice. Sitting up a little more, Chihiro reached her hand towards Haku, "my name is Ch… my name is…" A puzzled look washed over Chihiro's weary face.

"Who am I?" She gasped.

_She can't remember her name? _Haku's frown formed a deep crease on his forehead.

* * *

After finally making sure all the baths were thoroughly cleaned, Rin decided to visit Haku in his room to visit the human girl. The last time she checked, Chihiro was still sound asleep, caught in a different dimension. That tends to happen when some kind of bonding took place between a human and spirit.

Pushing the lever of the lift, Rin entered the lift discreetly and pressed level 12. Just as the doors were closing, a pair of hands intercepted the doors and a tall figure walked in.

"Pardon me, Mistress Rin," Kaeda's hummed, "are you going to visit Kohaku? I think I shall come with you."

_Come with me? Shoot._ "I'm sorry lady Kaeda, master Haku's room is off limits to guests. I'm just going to give him the usual nightly reports," Rin mastered as smoothly as she could.

"Reports? Surely a sick spirit deserves some rest and time away from work when he's unwell?" Lady Kaeda's velvety voice cooed, "I shall visit him to see how he's doing."

The elevator was reaching the higher floors and Rin was running out of ideas to keep Kaeda away. She prayed for a miracle to happen so Chihiro wouldn't be found out. Heck, the human only just got here! With a _bing,_ the two women stepped out of the lift and kept in step with each other. The floorboards creaked as the pair raced each other to the master's room.

Just as Rin and Kaeda tried to beat each other to the door, it slid open suddenly and revealed a stony-faced Haku. He didn't have a bulky build but there was always a sense of gravity in the way he held himself. Standing firm and tall, Haku blocked the entrance to his room with his rather imposing demeanour.

"Can I help you, ladies?" He questioned.

"I'm uh…" Rin could sense the tension radiating off Haku and felt guilty for something she didn't do. _What's going on? _"I'm here to send you the nightly reports… as I do each evening," She managed eventually.

"Oh, Kohaku, are you alright? I was so worried about you," Kaeda soothed as she moved towards Haku, trying to manoeuvre her way into the room, but Haku simply stood his ground and blocked the entrance.

An uncomfortable silence passed between the trio before Haku finally spoke up, "Lady Kaeda, thank you for your concern but you know that this level is off limits."

"I'm feeling much better now, after Zeniba made me her herbal drink," he softened his voice and tried to smile, "I'm currently having a meeting with her about some important matters."

"Oh, well… it's good to know you're feeling better…" Kaeda forced a smile, sensing that she wasn't welcomed at the moment.

"I'm so sorry I left so abruptly before," Haku soothed, realising that he had created some tension. "I'll visit you again and we can finish where we left off," he whispered in her ear as he held her wrist in his hand, the one with the bangle on it.

Nodding her head, Kaeda's face turned a little red at Haku's proximity. "Goodnight Kohaku," she said beneath her breath, bowed lowly, and left.

When Kaeda had long disappeared into the elevator, Saku let his guard down and spoke with a sense of urgency. "Rin, come in quickly so we can have this meeting together."

"Damn you Haku stop playing these stupid games!" Rin exclaimed, throwing her hands at the dragon exasperatedly.

"Chihiro's awake."

"You're not going to forgive yourself if Chihiro-"

"Chihiro's awake."

"She… SHE IS?"

* * *

Everything felt so bizarre. As Rin gave Chihiro a guided tour, she felt a strong sense of Deja Vu at every turn. She could have sworn she had never seen so many _strange _creatures before yet it all felt so… familiar. The bathhouse was enormous and different levels were strategically allocated for different guests. It was all a bit too much to take in but the general rule was that the higher floors were meant for important guests and the Master stayed all the way at the top.

"You can take two days off and rest for a bit, Chihiro," Rin touched Chihiro's shoulder lightly. Their tour ended at the girls dorm and Rin had prepared the futon for Chihiro. Glancing down at the human girl, she could tell Chihiro was still tired from the effects of Haku's magic and Zeniba's herbal concoctions. Rin felt a pang of sadness in her heart. There was so much she wanted to tell the her but so much she couldn't talk about. Nodding dumbly at Rin's instructions, Chihiro thought it was better to take the Mistress' advice and get some rest. She thanked Rin quietly and made her way to her futon at the edge of the room.

The girls dorm was a long, rectangular space. A long row of shelves ran across on one side of the room while a long panel of sliding doors ran across the other side. Curious, Chihiro opened the sliding doors and was pleasantly surprised to find a balcony that stretched across the length of the room. Taking in some fresh air, Chihiro calmed her anxious heart as she mentally prepared herself to accept her new life at the bathhouse.

_New life._ What was her old life like? Chihiro didn't know. She couldn't remember a thing. Closing the sliding door behind her, Chihiro made her way towards her futon and decided that she had enough thinking for one day.

But… She couldn't keep the day's events out of her mind. As she lay in her futon, she thought about all that had happened so far - waking up in a stranger's bed, meeting a large headed witch and touring a gigantic bathhouse.

Most of all, she couldn't keep her mind off the master of the bathhouse - Master Haku. There was no denying he was utterly attractive but Chihiro knew in her heart that she wasn't simply captivated by his looks. There was something familiar about him; a little like how the bathhouse made her feel. _But…sweeter._

Everything happened so quickly. Before she knew it, she was the employee of the bathhouse. Master Haku had taken the time to briefly explain how this world works. She needed a purpose to stay alive here or she would lose all meaning of her existence and turn into a shadow of herself - quite literally. She shuddered to think what that would be like.

Pulling the woollen blanket over her head, Chihiro revisited the events that had happened in Master Haku's room just a few hours ago.

_"You'll work here as an employee so you have a purpose to justify your existence," Master Haku's firm voice echoed in her head. "But before having a purpose, you'll need an identity. Since you can't remember your name, as Master of the bathhouse, I'll gift you one."_ Chihiro could still remember the way he said the next words:

_"From now on, your name is Chihiro."_

She thought she heard his voice quiver a little when he released the name to her, but she could have been wrong.

"CHI-HI-RO" she mouthed over and over again as she tossed and turned in the futon, trying to find a comfortable position. _Chihiro? A thousand fathoms? _

"Perhaps Master Haku gave me this name as a blessing… to pick things up and understand things quicker since I've already caused him so much trouble," Chihiro reasoned. Closing her eyes, Chihiro massaged her temples to ease the headache she was still experiencing. She went through the terms of her contract with Master Haku in her mind.

"Once you've accepted this name, you'll be bound under my authority. You must only work for me and not anyone else," she could still hear his tenor voice ringing in her head. She remembered bowing lowly, accepting the terms of her life here as a bounded employee. And then, she remembered the strange tingling sensation in her chest which lasted no more than a few seconds. In the next moment, she felt as though she were Chihiro. Felt as though she _is_ Chihiro. She knew that names were important and she's more than grateful that the kind master of the bathhouse had gifted her one. She was determined to give her best and not let her master down.


	6. Chapter 6: Willow Tree

As I've mentioned, all chapters will undergo continuous editing. Thanks for all your kind words and reviews :)

**Chapter 6: Willow Tree**

Spirits stared - no, ogled - at Hisae as she walked along the bridge, to the bathhouse. As the daughter of the Great Willow Tree Spirit, Hisae was a well-known spirit in the spirit world. Although she always dressed simply and modestly, she carried herself with grace. Elegantly, Hisae approached the reception and was received by Haku at the main entrance. She greeted him and graced him with a sweet, polite smile.

"Who's that?" Chihiro whispered into Rin's ear. Chihiro was scheduled to take care of the reception that evening and Rin was there to guide her.

"That's Hisae, a descendant of the Great Willow Tree," Rin replied, "she is one of our honoured guests."

"She's… she's so beautiful," Chihiro stuttered a little, awestruck by Hisae's effortless splendour.

"She is, isn't she? I like her quite a bit too, surprisingly," Rin smiled at Chihiro.

"Surprisingly?" Chihiro raised her brow as she passed a guest a token

Rin took notes in the records and tried her best to explain the delicate matter as discreetly as possible. "Most 'important' guests at the bathhouse - especially the females - are here with… _ulterior motives_," she said in a low voice, "Hisae's different, though. Or at least that's how she seems to me."

Chihiro looked on at the beautiful spirit that was making her way past the reception. Special guests like her at the bathhouse get to be served more quickly, it seems. Hisae's long mossy hair cascaded down her back and was lightly ornamented with a leafy headdress. She wore a simple yet pristine olive coloured kimono with golden trimmings. Unconsciously, Chihiro started adjusting the navy blue headscarf on her head and smoothened her salmon coloured uniform. Rin looked over at Chihiro and chuckled to herself.

In the midst of her gawking, Hisae's and Chihiro's eyes meet. Chihiro's face turned red and she mouthed an apology before bowing lowly at the lady. She half expected a look of disapproval from Hisae but the spirit simply smiled gently at her. Walking past the reception, Haku gave Rin and Chihiro a small nod before leading Hisae into the bathhouse. The two chatted comfortably as they walked down the corridor and disappeared in the elevator.

"Chihiro, stop _ogling_! It's rude!" Rin scolded.

"I'm sorry," Chihiro apologised and went back to doing her work. She blushed a little when she realised that a queue was forming in front of her because she was too busy gawking at Hisae.

"They make a wonderful couple," Chihiro thought out loud.

"Shh! Don't let Haku hear you say that!" Rin hushed, covering Chihiro's mouth with her hand, "that dragon's hearing is impeccable."

Pulling Rin's hand away from her face, Chihiro questioned,"why not, what's wrong with her?"

"Nothing's wrong with her!" Rin began to feel a little flustered and fumbled with the accounts.

"Then what's wrong?" Chihiro pressed on, sensing that she was on to something she didn't know about.

"Nothing. Just… just do your work," Rin took the accounts and left. This was not the right time to have this conversation. Not behind the reception desk anyway. It's easy to see why Chihiro got the impression that there was something going on between Haku and Hisae. The Dragon and the willow tree spirit did look good together — their elements even coexisted beautifully, for crying out loud. Countless paintings of willow trees resting beside a calm river were painted by humans and it was common for river spirits to take willow tree spirits as mates. However, Rin knew that no matter how close the two got, Hisae would never earn a fraction of the affection Haku held for the human girl, who was completely ignorant of the situation she was in.

"Haku, you and your games… you're too smart for your own good," Rin sighed under her breath as she headed to the boiler room.

* * *

By midnight, the hubbub of the bathhouse was coming in full force and Chihiro was trying her best to keep up. After her shift at the reception and a short break, she was tasked to help out wherever her was needed since she was still getting a hang of things. Most new employees were tasked to scrub the tubs but seeing that Chihiro had just recovered, Rin thought it was better to cut the girl some slack.

Chihiro's first task was to transport the dirty linens from the laundry room to the bottom floors. After making 2 wrong turns, Chihiro finally found a small door at an obscure corner of the 7th floor labelled "laundry room". Sliding it open quietly, she was greeted by a mountain of dirty linens —bathhouses as busy as this one were never short of dirty laundry.

Grabbing as many linens as she could, Chihiro slowly sidestepped out the door and managed to close it with her foot. Now, her new challenge was trying to make her way to the basement with a high pile of laundry obscuring her view. But just when she thought she finally got into the elevator, Chihiro bumped into a great pillar and fell backwards.

"Ouch!" Chihiro landed clumsily on her bum and saw dirty linen lying everywhere on the floor. "Just my luck…" She muttered as she slowly stood up and adjusted her blue head scarf.

"I'm sorry about that, do you need a hand?" A cool voice spoke up. Glancing up, Chihiro realised that the 'pillar' she bumped into was actually a guest! "Oh! Oh my - I'm so sorry. Forgive me, I really didn't mean to-" she stammered, feeling embarrassed and completely useless.

"Don't worry about it, please. Let me help you with that," the tall spirit with clear blue eyes said. His voice was soft and somehow, a little chilling. It reminded Chihiro of cold winter winds. Chihiro reached her hands out wanting to protest but before she knew it, the linens on the floor were swept up by a gentle gust of wind and landed in her hands, folded.

"…Oh?" She looked at the laundry in her hands, incredulous. When she looked up, the spirit was gone. With even stranger events over the last few days, Chihiro has slowly learned to accept the strange happenings around her. Just as she turned to pull the lever of the elevator, she saw a pair of emerald green eyes staring at her from the upper floors. It was master Haku. Chihiro blushed profusely, knowing that the master of the bathhouse had caught her clumsy act.

_I need to get it together. Master Haku did not give me a name and a purpose just to so I can tarnish the bathhouse's reputation._

Trying her best to bow lowly while holding on to the laundry, Chihiro hoped Master Haku could sense her sincere apology from where he was. The elevator arrived with a _bing_ and Chihiro straightened, stole a quick glance of her boss, and scurried through the opened doors. Haku watched Chihiro disappear into the lift, his gaze never leaving her until the doors shut.

"New staff?" A warm quiet voice spoke. Haku turned and returned Hisae's question with a small smile, shaking his head as if to say, "you know how they are…"

"Sorry," Haku apologised to Hisae out of courtesy but the smile still lingered on his upturned lips. "She's pretty new. It's her first day, actually. I'm more surprised to see Kenta sama, Prince of the North — I'll have to go send him my greetings later, after we have tea."

"Kohaku, we've known each other a long time. You don't have to play the host with me," Hisae laughed as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "You should go attend to the guests who require your attention."

"You're one of the few guests I enjoy hosting, so just let me enjoy my job once in a while won't you?" Haku winked, "I've made arrangements — let's have tea at the gardens. I know willow tree spirits enjoy the presence of butterflies." He cooed and ushered Hisae to the elevator.

"Fantastic!" Hisae clasped her hands together and brightened immediately, a tinge of pink colouring her cheeks.


	7. Chapter 7: Hisae Knows

**Chapter 7: Hisae Knows**

Travelling from the North to the East wasn't exactly far, but it seeing that he was just here a month ago, Kenta wasn't looking forward to being back here again. It wasn't because services at the bathhouse was bad — in fact, the standards have risen exponentially ever since Kohaku had taken over. The truth was that there were only three reasons why anyone ever visited a bathhouse: for cleansing, for business, or for politics. As Prince Of The North, he was clearly here for political reasons.

"Might as well milk their services while I'm here… Again," Kenta rolled his eyes as he slowly made his way to his room. Being a prominent figure of the spirit world came with many perks. For one, he always had a unique private room set aside for him wherever he visited.

After a sensuous bath by a Yuna, Kenta changed into his robes. (talk about how he likes to be under the radar here)

He walked out into the balcony to get some fresh air and closed his eyes. He took a long drag of cigar as he tried to think about how he should approach Kohaku later with the discussions about the human world. Just as he was deep in thought, he heard a commotion going on outside of his room.

As Prince of the north, it was wiser to stay out of other people's petty skirmishes but the commotion was interrupting his thoughts.

Kenta opened the door and found a drunken guest clinging on to a female staff. By the looks of her salmon coloured uniform, she wasn't a yuna and she was desperately trying to get away from him. Two frog spirits were trying to take control of the situation but the large toad spirit was too strong and flung them to the ground when they tried to restrain him. At this point, other guests stopped to look at the commotion.

"Stop! Please, I'm not a yuna, I can't draw you a bath!" The girl yelled, struggling as the slimy toad spirit tried to wrap his brown hands around her.

"What a shame, you're a sweet little thing. You should be a yuna! I'd pay you a hefty tip if you'll serve me tonight," The toad spirit rubbed his face against the female staff's cheeks, dripping slime all over her skin and uniform. She was desperately struggling against his strong grip but she was small and physically weak. Clearly, she was no match against a drunken, lustful toad spirit.

"Yes, she should definitely draw baths, but she'll draw mine instead," a strong hand grabbed hold of the girl's shoulders and yanked her away from the toad's grasp. Shocked, she spun her head around and Kenta realised that this was the same clumsy stuff who bumped into him a little earlier.

Winking at her discreetly, Kenta continued with his act, "let go of her. I've already made arrangements for her to come and serve me tonight."

"Well who do you think you are?" The toad spirit spat, as he lunged forward. His strong hind legs propelled him forward and Kenta withdrew backwards like a swift gust of wind, just missing the ugly toad's blow. Since he wanted to keep his royal status a secret, Kenta was trying his best to hold back against the toad's spirit's aggression.

"You cursed spirit, return the yuna to me!"The toad spirit launched himself forward again, this time more aggressively than before as Kenta spun around with Chihiro still in his arms.

"NO!" Chihiro shut her eyes tight and held on to Kenta desperately. That was it. The first day of work at the bathhouse and she was done for - or so she thought. A few seconds passed and she waited for the blow she was expecting but, strangely, felt nothing.

"What's going on!" A tenor voice interjected. Chihiro was still shivering from fear and she tried to open her eyes — in part, she wanted to know what happened but more importantly, she wanted to know if she was still alive. Right before her eyes, just inches away from her face, the toad spirit was frozen in mid-air. He couldn't move. He simply floated there, completely restrained by an invisible force.

"Miss, you can let go now," a familiar voice behind her cooed. Tilting her head upwards, Chihiro realised that it was the spirit she had bumped into earlier!

"I'm so sorry! Oh my god, I owe you my life. TWICE! Tell me if there's anything I can do for you…" Chihiro blabbered, feeling extremely embarrassed and flustered. As she went on, she realised that the blue-eyed spirit was looking past her. Turning around, Chihiro saw a very displeased Master Haku storming steadily towards them.

"Master Haku?" Chihiro's voice was caught in her throat.

"Master Kohaku, it seems like your staff is being harassed by a drunken spirit. You know I don't usually interfere with matters in the household of others but the commotion went on and on outside my room and you know I don't enjoy these… skirmishes." Kenta straightened himself as he walked towards Haku.

Haku caught what Kenta was implying and the displeasure in his tone, "I don't tolerate these incidents either. I'll make sure this drunkard will bear the cost of his actions. Thank you for rescuing my staff," Haku bowed lowly.

"I expect no less from you, Master Kohaku," Kenta nodded. Turning to Chihiro, he softened his hard expression and spoke with a quiet voice, "I hope you're okay. Be more careful and alert next time, won't you?"

Chihiro nodded dumbly, her face turning bright red. Kenta was a tall spirit - even taller than Haku and he had to bend down a little lower to meet her eyes. Only then did she realise how beautiful this spirit was. He had flawless pale skin and long white hair to match. It made his clear blue eyes stand out even more.

"Thanks for saving me today, if there's anything you need, please just let me know. I owe you," Chihiro spoke quietly and bowed.

"Take him to the lower floors. I'll deal with this later" Haku snapped his fingers and the frozen toad spirit immediately fell to the ground. It took six frog spirits to drag the drunken toad away, each of them heaving as they went.

"Kenta Sama" Hisae approached the scene and bowed lowly to Kenta.

"If it isn't the beautiful Hisae san" Kenta's face lit up as he walked towards Hisae and the two chatted lightly with each other. At this point, the other guest and staff were going about their ways, sensing that the master of the bathhouse had reasserted order.

Turning to Haku, Chihiro exhaled deeply, her cheeks flushed from embarrassment and the after effects of the shocking experience."I'm sorry Master Haku. I've caused you so much trouble on the first day. I promise to try harder tomorrow," Chihiro bowed lowly, straightened and walked away feeling extremely disheartened. Haku looked on as the girl turned around silently with slouched shoulders and disappeared into the crowd. He wanted to hold her tightly and tell her she was safe with him. But there were guests all around them and not to mention, the Prince of the North was present. He yearned for her so much yet there was nothing he could do.

Kenta disappeared into his room and Hisae walked towards Haku. She stared intently into Haku's eyes and Haku knew she wanted to relay an important thought to him.

_That girl. She's the human girl you've been waiting for, isn't she? _Hisae raised a brow at Haku.

_What makes you say so? _Shock flashed across his face momentarily before he hid behind his usual stony-faced expression.

"Shall we finish up the tea? You left so abruptly. I knew something, no, someone important to you pulled you away… on short notice." Hisae said lightly and walked back towards the rooftop garden. Haku reached a hand to his chest. He could still feel fragments of Chihiro's lingering panic.


	8. Chapter 8: The First Lie

**Chapter 8: The First Lie**

_"Master Haku?"_ Haku couldn't keep Chihiro's timid expression out of his mind. The way she bowed lowly at him at the hallways and the way she peered up at him, always a little fearful —that wasn't how he intended their reunion to be like.

_And then there's Kenta_…_What's he doing here?_ Haku's brows creased in a frown. The last person he wanted to deal with at this point was the prince of the North.

This was completely his fault. His strong desires for Chihiro had literally dragged her out of her world into the spirit plane and she has lost everything. Her memories, her old life, even her name - it's all gone now.

_Dreams bend reality. _He could hear the old witch's crackled voice at the back of his mind. Her warning sounded more like a playful taunt now that Chihiro was really in their world.

"Shit," Haku groaned, covering his face with his hands in frustration. He tried to distract himself from the events with work but couldn't keep his mind off what he had done. Out of pure annoyance, he tossed the brush he was holding onto the table, ink splattered and stained his documents. He threw his head back and thought about Chihiro. The way she always fumbled a little scrubbing the big tubs, or the way she had a habit of fiddling with her blue headscarf when she felt nervous. He thought about their brief encounters along the hallways and slowly, his mind drifted to the memories of his first proper conversation with Chihiro, right here, in his office.

_"I understand you must be feeling quite confused,"_ he had told her,_ "so I think it's best if I took some time to give you a brief summary of how this world works."_

Chihiro had nodded her head eagerly, her large eyes were trusting and never left his. _Too trusting. _Haku had felt the urge to wrap her up in his arms immediately, but instead, he had restrained himself. He had thought out an elaborate plan but her ingenuous expression threw him off. Haku cleared his throat and decided to go ahead with what he had planned.

_"I know you've lost all of your memories, but if anything, I want you to remember two important things,"_ He raised his fingers at Chihiro, _"Firstly, you need an identity. Secondly, you need a purpose."_ Chihiro raised her brows at Haku but didn't say anything. Haku simply looked at her fixedly, allowing his words to sink in.

_"You'll work here as an employee so you have a purpose to justify your existence,"_ he continued, _"but before having a purpose, you'll need an identity. Since you can't remember your name, as Master of the bathhouse, I'll gift you one."_ At this point, it was becoming quite unbearable and Haku could still feel his hair stand as he recalled what he had said next.

Standing up from his table, Haku moved towards the balcony and stared into the barren night sky. He remembered how he had turned his back to Chihiro as he said the next words.

_"From now on, your name is Chihiro."_

_"Chihiro?"_ The human girl spoke up for the first time.

_"Once you've accepted this name, you'll be bound under my authority. You must only work for me and not anyone else. Do you accept this contract?"_ These were the exact words Yubaba had said to him. And at that moment, these were the words he had said to her. Tears were building up in his eyes as he relived that conversation with Chihiro in his room.

_"I accept the contract,"_ Chihiro's soft voice rang throughout the room and shook him to his core.

_"Good,"_ he breathed, after a moment's hesitation. He didn't know how long he could keep this act up for. _"It's extremely important that you only work at this bathhouse. Remember this: you're bound by a contract._

"_And one more thing: drink this every day first thing when you rise,"_ Haku had handed her a potion. _"You need to drink this to recover fully,"_ Haku had lied smoothly and passed the scent-masking potion to Chihiro. The last thing he wanted was for Chihiro's true identity to be revealed, or even worse — that spirits would smell his scent on her through the bond they shared.

_"I understand, Master Haku,"_ Chihiro took received the potion in both hands before taking a deep bow. Still keeping his back towards her, Haku made no move nor any further comments. When he heard Chihiro leave his room, he used his sleeve to wipe the tears that were flowing freely down his face.

He had bound Chihiro to a contract. A horrible thing to do, but at least he knew it would keep her safe. Haku knew that hiding her in plain sight was not a long term plan. His selfish desires had dragged her here and the last thing he wanted was to work her to death in the spirit world.

_I need to think of something… anything…_Even now, as Haku let the approaching cold winter wind caress his face, he could feel a deep ache in his chest.

* * *

After the mishap on Chihiro's first day of work, Rin decided that it was better for Chihiro to work in the basement and lower floors. Although the kitchen was hot and generally more laborious, it kept Chihiro out of sight from most guests. To Rin's surprise, Chihiro had nimble fingers and had no problems with keeping up to speed with orders — not quite the klutz she was her first visit here. A smile appeared on Rin's face as she saw how efficiently Chihiro moved about. The girl was like a little sister to her and a warm sense of pride rose in Rin's chest as she saw Chihiro in her own element.

_She must have done lots of cooking herself in the human world… _Leaning on the door frame as she studied Chihiro from afar, Rin wondered about the kind of life Chihiro led before she was dragged into this realm. _How did she even get here anyway?_ Rin's brow furrowed and made a mental note to beat the information the dragon was withholding.

"So…how is she fairing?" Haku's voice spoke into her right ear out of nowhere.

"Shit - Oh god!" Rin spun around with a hand clasping her chest. Haku had been sneaking down to the bottom levels every day to check on the human girl for the past week, scaring her every time he made a surprise appearance. She had a sneaky suspicion that he got a kick out of scaring her too. _Damned dragons._

Before Rin could say anything, Haku dragged her to a dark corridor next to the kitchen. Rin fought against his strong grip and the two looked like a pair of bickering idiots, drawing stares from a few passing staff.

"She's fine, lizard…But you know you can't just hide her like that forever," Rin huffed as she broke away from Haku's firm grip, "you need to think of something or just… just… talk to her about-" Rin was gesticulating wildly with her hands, finding it frustrating to pinpoint exactly what Haku needs to do. Even _she _couldn't figure out what was going on, exactly. She was tired of Haku's silly antics.

"Shhh…I know, I know…" Haku ran a hand through his dark hair, "can you let her know I would like to speak with her some time this week?" His emerald eyes looked at her pleadingly.

"Fine, I will," Rin rolled her eyes.

Just as she was turning away to get back to work, Haku stopped her, grabbing her arm firmly, "…and don't make it sound like she's done something wrong. Or just… just don't make her feel nervous and-" he was fumbling with his words.

"Tell yourself that!" Rin smacked Haku with her clipboard and missed his head by a few inches as he ducked away."If you don't scare her half to death with your stone cold demeanour, I guarantee she'd feel ten times better." There was never an easy day working at the bathhouse but right now, being in the middle of Haku's stupid game was more draining than her never ending to-do list.

* * *

Kaeda sat at the balcony feeling the approaching winter winds caress her face. The moon was nowhere in sight and the sea was dark, illuminated only by a few passing ships. She was at the bathhouse for business negotiations but it's an open secret that she was really only here for Haku. He had whispered sweet nothings to her, promised her a second jade bangle and yet, something didn't feel quite right.

"That damn Hisae is in the way, as usual," Kaeda frowned as she took a long drag of her cigar. Many spirits speculated that the two were to be mated and she could see why. They shared a close knitted relationship and it is said that rivers fall in love with the tree that rests closest to their heart…

"Lady Kaeda, it's me," Haku's voice called from the door. With a smile on her face, Kaeda sauntered over to meet the dragon she's been waiting for.

Sliding the door open, Kaeda greeted Haku with a sultry smile, "I've been waiting for you, Kohaku, it's been a while since we spoke."

"So it has been…" Haku stepped into the room and closed the door behind him quickly. It was open knowledge that Kaeda asked 'special favours' from him and as master of the bathhouse, it was rude to decline. Earlier this evening, Kaeda had sent word to his staff, demanding to schedule an appointment to discuss "urgent matters" with him. He knew what she was after, and it had very little to do with any talking.

"I've missed you dearly, Kohaku," Kaeda walked towards the divan and reclined lazily on one end, "There are some… important things I've been dying to ask you." She winked at Haku and motioned him to sit with her.

Holding back a sigh, Haku sauntered towards Kaeda and lounged next to her on the seat. "My lady, what's bothering you?" He reached over and drew circles on the back of her hand.

"Who am I to you Kohaku?" Kaeda asked the question suddenly, as she stared into the burning fireplace. Light from the fire danced with the jealousy built up in her fiery eyes.

"Well, haven't I gifted you a jade bangle? Do you see me adorning another spirit, my lady?" Haku evaded the question and leaned in to Kaeda.

"Well…You've practically forgotten about me the moment she arrived," Kaeda responded coldly, looking away from Haku.

"Is this about Lady Hisae? Lady Kaeda, you know I don't intend to be mated with her, we've talked about this haven't we?" He whispered as he pulled her towards him. Leaning in closer, Haku cupped Kaeda's cheeks and tilted her face so their eyes would meet. As the daughter of the richest merchant in the South, Kaeda was not a spirit he could carelessly offend. Not only was the South his main supplier, Kaeda's family was well connected with royalty and crossing them would only bring more trouble for him.

"Then tell me, do you plan to be mated?" Kaeda asked, blushing at their close proximity.

"Why wouldn't I?" Haku cooed.

"And do you have someone in mind?" Kaeda raised a brow at him, her heart beating wildly with anticipation.

"I think you know who I have in mind…" Haku whispered, cringing internally.

"Don't play games with me Kohaku!" Kaeda stood up abruptly. Haku was a little taken aback at her sudden display of petulance — she usually bought his act with ease. "I've been hearing… things." She crossed her arm as she walked out to the balcony, away from Haku.

"Oh? Things… I wonder what rumour this is again?" Haku tried to put up an act of nonchalance but the image of Chihiro immediately appeared in his mind and every fibre of his being was on edge.

"They say your heart belongs somewhere else…To the tree that rests closest to your heart," Kaeda leaned against the railings, her head resting in her hands.

"Is this really the urgent matter you've been wanting to discuss?" Haku appeared at her side and touched the jade bangle he gifted her, "I thought you'd be more interested in talking about which jade bangle I should gift you."

Kaeda blushed and couldn't keep her smile to herself. Jade bangles were a sign of courtship; for a proper proposal to take place, the courter would need to gift his lady three bangles. The first bangle only signified an interest from courters and Kaeda couldn't wait to get her hands on the second bangle. Leaning onto Haku's shoulder, Kaeda sighed contentedly and thought about how powerful she would be as the daughter of the richest merchant and Lady of the largest bathhouse.

"There are some other rumours too," Kaeda said absent mindedly.

"Another rumour?" Haku scoffed quietly.

Kaeda giggled to herself but soon, she dissolved into laughter and wiped a tear from her eye. "You're going to love it, it sounds completely ridiculous!" Kaeda turned to Haku, trying to compose herself, "they say that you're still a bachelor because you're in love with a human. How stupid is that!"

If a grave look of resentment flashed across Haku's face, Kaeda didn't notice. "It's the silliest thing I've heard tonight," Haku said as he turned away from the fish spirit who was still trying to recover from her laughing fit.


	9. Chapter 9: The Winds and The Waters

**Chapter 9: The Winds And The Waters**

The kitchen was quite spacious and it was always bustling with life, probably even more than the upper floors. Delicious meals were cooked every moment and Chihiro loved it here! After getting assigned to the kitchens, Chihiro's days went by quite peacefully. Since she was relatively new, she was tasked with mostly washing, plating desserts and other menial tasks. It was pretty repetitive but she found it quite soothing and therapeutic - there was something about the fragrant smell of cooked meals that warmed her deeply on the inside. For a moment, it felt as though she were home. _Home? What does that mean…_

"Chihiro san, thanks for helping me with the garlic and onions," Suki, a gentle mouse spirit placed a hand on her shoulder. "Could you help me transport this dessert to the top floors? We're a little shorthanded on servers tonight."

"Oh, sure, Suki san," Chihiro carefully took the tray from Suki's hands, "which room should I head to?"

"901, Lady Hisae's room," Suki replied and thanked Chihiro.

_Lady Hisae?_ Chihiro recalled the image of the elegant spirit and felt a little nervous. "Oh…alright I'll send this over immediately."

Balancing the tray on one hand, Chihiro pulled the lever and waited for the elevator to arrive. _901…_ That must mean Lady Hisae was an extremely important guest, seeing that she stayed just 2 floors below Master Haku. The elevator door opened with a bing and Chihiro entered, her mind recalling what Rin had said a week before.

_"Don't let Master Haku hear you say that!"_ Rin had been very against Chihiro pairing up their boss with the beautiful spirit and Chihiro couldn't figure out why. Master Haku was a kind boss - he didn't reprimand her even though she made mistakes on her first day. A boss like him deserved the most beautiful spirit in the world.

The elevator door opened and Chihiro was stunned to see that 901 occupied the entire floor. _Master Haku must really like Lady Hisae to give her an entire level to herself…_Walking towards the door, Chihiro balanced the tray as she knocked softly.

"Sorry to disturb you, Lady Hisae, your dessert is here," Chihiro called.

The door slid open and Hisae stood before Chihiro in a simple ivy coloured rob. Her long mossy hair was gathered over her shoulder, accentuating the fairness of her porcelain skin.

"Thank you," Hisae reached for the tray.

Chihiro bowed and turned to leave but stopped halfway when Lady Hisae called out suddenly, "I'm sorry, do you mind coming in to join me?"

_Join her? _"Um… I don't know, I don't think Master Haku and Mistress Rin would like that-"

"Oh come on, don't be a spoiled sport. I'll let them know I told you to come here." Hisae insisted.

"I'm sorry Lady Hisae, Chihiro can't join you. She isn't supposed to be serving you tea in the first place — she's a kitchen staff," Rin's voice rang urgently from the elevator as she ran towards the two.

"It's fine Rin, don't fret. I just wanted a bit of company. It's no fun having tea alone!" Hisae pouted playfully, trying to lighten the tension, "but of course, if Chihiro needs to attend to her duties, she should go. I'm sorry for overwriting your orders, Mistress Rin." Hisae apologised with a bow.

"Oh, no!" Rin shook her head profusely, "I'm sorry, Master Haku isn't able to entertain you today. He has a meeting."

"With Lady Kaeda, yes I'm aware of that…" there was an underlying tone of distaste in Hisae's voice.

"Chihiro, why don't you go back to the kitchen?" Rin turned to Chihiro and ushered her towards the elevator.

"We'll take our leave, Lady Hisae. Once again, my many apologies," Rin bowed deeply and left with Chihiro.

As the door closed, an uncomfortable silence passed between Rin and Chihiro in the elevator. When Rin went down to the kitchen to check on Chihiro, she was shocked to learn that the girl was sent upstairs. After the hooha on the first day, the last thing Rin wanted was for Chihiro to draw any more attention to herself.

"Chihiro," Rin broke the silence.

"Y-yes?" Chihiro was feeling nervous although she was sure she hadn't done anything wrong.

"Master Haku said he might want to see you some time this week," Rin tried to say these words as kindly as possible. She didn't want Chihiro to get the wrong message. Glancing over at the girl's stunned expression, it was obvious that Chihiro had already taken it the wrong way.

Internally, Rin heaved a heavy sigh before continuing, "don't worry Chihiro, it's not anything bad!" She lay a hand on Chihiro's shoulder to comfort her.

"Mistress Rin, do you know what it's about…?" Chihiro asked timidly, peering at her supervisor.

_God knows what it's about, even I'm in the dark about this whole situation. _"Um… I'm sure Master Haku just wants to see how you're doing — it's just standard procedure! Don't worry your little head over this too much," Rin smiled.

"Oh and Chihiro," Rin whispered in her ear, "try to stay out of sight from the guests okay? And only take orders from Master Haku and myself."

Chihiro nodded quietly but as she turned away from Rin, a frown creasing in her forehead. A nagging feeling was gnawing at her and her instincts were telling her that something's up… _but what?_

* * *

A tangible heaviness could be felt in the room. The two did not speak for a few moments, seemingly unwilling to be the first to break the silence — it was a delicate situation. Sitting across Kenta, Haku took his time to finish his cigar. Leaning back in his armchair, Haku looked squarely at Kenta, a white cloud of smoke danced and dissipated as he exhaled. Seated in his private quarters while he took a long smoke, Haku exuded an air of assertiveness — exactly the kind of impression he wanted to give right from the onset of their meeting.

Kenta, however, was not new to the game of politics. He was not put off easily and Haku knew this just as well. Sitting tall across the master of the bathhouse, Kenta rolled up the sleeves of his navy silk robe and brought his cup to his lips. Savouring its light, sweet fragrance, Kenta let out a satisfied sigh and brushed his long silver hair behind his shoulder. The atmosphere in the room was heavy but like any royal prince, Kenta always carried himself with a sense of self-assurance.

"It's a pleasure to meet you at your bathhouse once again, Master Haku," Kenta decided to break the silence — both men knew that was a lie. Sitting up straight, Haku's emerald green eyes met Kenta's icy blues. The lamp hanging above their heads highlighted the prince's already fair skin and drew even more attention to his sharp features and cast dark shadows in the contours of his face. Despite his nonchalant demeanor, Haku knew this was the face of someone he had to be extremely cautious of. He needed to play his cards right.

"It's always wonderful to entertain guests like yourself," Haku returned the greetings. He knew these formalities signalled that it was time to discuss matters he wished he could avoid addressing. Waving his fingers, Haku motioned for the server to come in. A timid mouse spirit stepped in and quietly lay plates of exquisite handcrafted sweets on the table. Bowing lowly, she left the two and shut the door discreetly.

"Try them, these are wonderful," Haku motioned for Kenta to try the sweets on the table.

Bringing the hot tea to his lips, Kenta looked squarely at Haku over his cup, "thanks for your hospitality Master Haku, but I guess it would do the both of us good if we talked about the matter at hand in a more… direct manner. Forgive me if I'm being curt."

A small smile tugged at a corner of Haku's lips. _So, the game begins._ "Not at all, not at all, your highness," he paused, took a sip of tea before continuing, "I run a bathhouse. It's nothing like running the spirit world but I understand where you're coming from."

"Wonderful!" Kenta clapped his hands together and smiled for the first time. "Have you reached a decision for the proposition?"

Haku let the question hang in the air as he took an intentionally long drag of his cigar. He could feel Kenta's cold eyes on him and quite frankly, he enjoyed keeping the prince in suspense. "At this point in time," Haku shook his head and he brushed away stray strands of hair from his face. "Look at the volume guests we have — the bathhouse needs me to stick around. I can't just leave it and go to the north.

"Besides," he continued, "I'm sure there are plenty of other capable spirits who can do a just as fine, if not better, job than I would as a key minister of the spirit world."

Kenta maintained his position across Haku, unflinching. He had anticipated this response although he had hoped that the master of Aburaya would change his mind. Turning over to glance out of the balcony, he spotted passing ships illuminating the vast, still sea. The dragon before him was like these waters. _No, he is the waters._ Water, unlike ice, was unpredictable. A body of water could be completely serene on the surface but full of moving currents underneath. Just one misstep and water can swallow you whole.

"You're not wrong, Master Kohaku," Kenta pulled out a black fan from his sleaves and opened it with a flick of his wrist, revealing intricate golden details of a bamboo forest. Fanning himself slowly, he bought himself a few moments to decide on what he wanted to say next.

_You leave me no choice, Kohaku._ Closing the fan abruptly, Kenta made up his mind and continued, "spirits may be dying from pollution at a faster rate than ever but we're really not short of talent.

"What we're looking for isn't talent," he rested his chin on his hand and said the next words lowly. "If it were about wits and strength, I wouldn't be here personally inviting you to join the counsel."

Haku's jaw tightened but held his tongue. Kenta maintained his image but internally, let out a deep sigh. He never intended to coerce the master of the bathhouse to join the counsel this way but Haku was invaluable at this point and he wanted to try all means short of violence to get him to the North.

"We just… want your knowledge and experience," a smug look hung on Kenta's face. "It's exceptionally invaluable to us during this time of conflict." Haku raised his brow at Kenta's vague statement but waited for the prince to continue.

"As far as I can tell, no one knows… _humans_ like you do." The words hit Haku like a sharp spear running through his chest. The image of Chihiro lying at his banks came to mind and he tried his very best to suppress the protective instinct rising within him.

"What are you getting at?" Haku demanded. A smile tugged at the corner of Kenta's lips. _Dragons are so hot headed. It's perhaps their only weakness._

"We've agreed to keep this a candid discussion haven't we? Let's not play games, Master Kohaku," Kenta looked upon the tea cup and ran his finger along its rim. "You've crossed paths with a human — the same human. Twice. You'll know what exactly makes this weak, excuse of race so damned resilient.

"Join us. And end this stupid conflict. End them." Kenta's cold eyes shot up to meet Haku's, "in exchange, I'll break Yubaba's bond — the cursed tie to the bathhouse."

Haku could feel the dragon in him on the verge of surging at Kenta. He was filled to the brim with his protective instincts and a war was raging internally to keep these primal instincts under control. Bringing the cup to himself, he noticed his hands were shaking ever so slightly. He took a sip of tea and managed to compose himself.

"I beg your pardon, your highness. But does this mean that I will, in turn, be bound to the palace?" Haku's hard eyes stared at the prince. "This might come as a surprise to you, but between the bathhouse and the palace, I'd choose the bathhouse any day. In half a heartbeat." A heavy silence fell upon the two and the mood of the room was getting increasingly sombre.

"Forgive me, your highness, I thought we were having a candid discussion," Haku's jaw tightened. Slowly, he put the cigar back to his lips, took a long drag and exhaled deeply. A thick cloud of smoke filled the space between them.

Just as Kenta was about to speak, a light knock at the door interrupted him. He knew that this marked the end of his meeting with the master of the bathhouse.

"Very well, then. I guess that's it for our little meeting. Have a good night, Master Kohaku." Kenta promptly stood up, "I'll see myself out."

Kenta slid open the door unceremoniously, clearly in a dark mood, and almost ran into Rin. The weasel spirit was holding on to a large stack of papers and side stepped just in time to save the papers from scattering all over the hallway. Without giving her a second glance, Kenta simply brushed past her and disappeared into the elevator.

_What's with that sour face_. Rin shot Kenta a dirty look while he wasn't looking and stepped into Haku's private quarters. Slamming the reports on the table, Rin was about to rattle off about the numbers for the evening but stopped herself short. Something about Haku felt off and she could feel the energy he was emitting.

"What the hell are you doing, lizard?" Rin demanded. Haku had poured himself whiskey and downed three shots in a row. While he was about to down the fourth shot, Rin snatched the glass from him and downed that shot herself.

"Bad meeting with his highness of the North? What does sour face want?" Rin questioned.

Haku simply stood where he was, staring blankly at Rin. She always got on his nerves but he was glad he didn't need to put on a mask in front of her. Finally, he could let his guard down, emotionally exhausted from the meeting earlier.

"They're trying to recruit me on the grounds of my experience with humans," he muttered so softly, it was almost inaudible.

"Does this mean they know?!" Rin exclaimed, waving her hands dramatically in the air.

"Shh!" Haku pressed a finger to his lips.

"Oh… do they know she's here?" Rin lowered her voice.

Haku shook his head, no. He recalled the way Kenta referred to Chihiro's visit to the spirit world 16 years ago. It did not seem like the prince had caught wind of Chihiro's presence in the bathhouse at the moment.

"I… I don't think-" A strong, painful sensation was rising rapidly in his chest and Haku found it difficult to keep his composure. Holding on to the edge of his wine cabinet, Haku tried to steady himself. He opened his mouth to speak but instead, he began to throw up.

"Shit Haku!" Rin rushed over towards him. "Did the damn prince poison you?!"

Shaking his head profusely, Haku got back onto his feet. "It's Chihiro. Where's Chihiro?" His tone turned gravely serious.

"Chihiro? She should be sleeping. I let her off early tonight," before Rin could continue, Haku changed into his dragon form and flew out of the balcony. The gust of wind he left behind blew the papers on his desk onto the floor.


	10. Chapter 10: The Other Side

**Chapter 10: The Other Side**

Chihiro dangled her legs at the edge of the balcony in her dorm. The moon hadn't been making an appearance in a while and the vast endless sea was a still sheet of darkness illuminated by passing ships. From up here, she could see the bridge leading to the bathhouse lined with spirits queueing to enter and the town beyond was bejewelled with orange lanterns.

The yunas were still busy entertaining guests and Rin had let Chihiro off early. Sitting alone with her own thoughts, Chihiro recalled the strange events earlier that evening. Rin had ran out of the elevator panting, a look of panic spread across her face. _Why? _Chihiro pursed her lips. She knew Rin cared deeply for her but she had an inkling that she was kept in the dark about something important. _But what?_

"Ugh!" Chihiro stood up hastily, feeling frustrated at… at… "If only I knew where I came from, originally! M-maybe I'll have a home to return to…" She sighed and decided to head to bed early. As she turned to walk away, she spotted a river on the other side of the bathhouse, at the edge of the town. A clocktower stood at the other side and Chihiro found herself entranced. She couldn't look away as a sudden urge to _go over there _rose in her chest.

_Leave. _Chihiro felt her heart rate pick up and an unexplainable urge to_ escape_ surged within her. _Leave. Immediately._ The words echoed in her mind and it felt as though her chest was about to explode. In an instant, she sprinted out of the room and ran down stairs. She ran, and she ran fast.

"Hey, watch it!" A guest yelled, but Chihiro paid no heed. Weaving through the crowd in the bathhouse, Chihiro made it out the front door passing strange faces and towering figures. Her vision was a blur and she didn't know where she was going but somehow, her legs knew where to turn. Running across the bridge, Chihiro cut through the town. She skided past food stalls and ran through shadows.

"Little one, some food? Want some food?"

"Over here, over here…" Faceless beings at the market called out to her. Their hollow voices seemed to echo around her. Chihiro's mind was screaming, telling her to halt, to return back to the bathhouse. But her body wasn't listening and her heart was yearning for answers to… _to… what?_

"Ah!" Stumbling forward, Chihiro found herself running knee deep into the river, splashing about water as surged forward. Her heart pushed her to go further, to the other side but a quiet, small voice held her back. _I can't swim well. _In an instant, the strong desire in her heart started to fall away. Looking about her, she found herself already waist deep in the waters.

"You shouldn't be here, Chihiro," a tenor voice called out firmly behind. Spinning around, Chihiro saw Haku walking steadily towards her, leaving behind a trail of petals that danced and disappeared into the night sky. For a few moments, the two simply stared at each other, not speaking. And the world seemed to fade far away into a distance behind them.

Haku's eyes never strayed from Chihiro's. Her short, cropped hair was a mess and her eyes were red. He recalled the painful feelings of loss and longing he felt from her and knew that this image of her, waist deep in the river, would be burned in his memory for a long time. He'd never intended for her to feel… _like_ _this_.

"Chihiro, why are you in the river?" He tried to maintain his composure but he couldn't hide the quiver in his voice.

"M…master Haku?" Chihiro muttered under her breath, finally mustering the courage to speak. "I… I need to go to the other side, do you know how I can get there?" Her voice quivered.

A moment passed and Haku's forehead creased in a deep frown. "Chihiro…" He breathed shakily, "you can't just leave without telling me."

"I… I… I don't know,"Chihiro stammered, trying to justify herself. She looked about her and realised how silly she must seem, standing in the river, waist deep. The night wind played with her cropped hair, covering her face. Slowly heading back on shore, Chihiro tried to tuck her stray hair behind her ears, in a futile effort to look more presentable.

"Sorry master Haku, I was out of line," she managed shakily beneath her breath as she approached Haku, "I didn't mean to run away from the bathhouse. I hope you-" Suddenly, a pair of cool hands held her face firmly and drew her gaze upwards.

Staring into Haku's eyes, Chihiro's heart skipped a beat. There it was again, those conflicting emotions she felt every time she was near him. He was just an inch away from her and those emerald eyes were intense. She was as captivated as she was afraid of him. She wanted to flee but couldn't bring herself to look away. Sensing her fear and confusion, the fire in Haku's eyes cooled. His gaze softened as he thumbed away her tears.

"Don't cry, silly," he whispered endearingly. He wanted to draw her into his arms, take away the confusion and tell her… tell her… _I love you. _But he couldn't do that, not here, out in the open. Standing so close to her, Haku could hear Chihiro's uneven breath and feel the _humanness _about her.

As Haku held the girl, he couldn't help but recall his conversation with Kenta. "You've crossed paths with a human…Join us. And end this stupid conflict. End them." The wind spirit's voice rang loudly in his head. Images of losing Chihiro — blowing her cover and being seized by the palace — filled his mind. Letting go of her reluctantly, Haku stepped back and pulled out a small stack of origami papers from his sleeve.

"Here," He handed it to her, "next time you have the urge to come back here, take this with you." Chihiro turned her attention to the papers in Haku's hands. Her face marred with unending questions.

"If you feel the urge to come here again, write letters to the clock tower. It's good to pen down how you feel," Haku explained. "Fold it into a paper boat and send your thoughts over. I promise it will make you feel better," he pushed the papers into her hands. Chihiro nodded dumbly as she looked upon the origami papers with curiosity.

Sensing that Chihiro needed some time alone, Haku decided that it was better if he returned to the bathhouse first. "Let's meet for tea sometime this week," he said kindly, laying a hand gently on her shoulder, "don't worry, I just want to know how you've been feeling working at the bathhouse."

"Don't stay here too long." He turned around and returned to the bathhouse.

"Thank you, master Haku," Chihiro whispered beneath her breath as she watched Haku's figure disappear into the distance. A warm feeling rose in her chest and for the first time since she had woken up in this strange place, she felt calm.

* * *

The bathhouse, like the rest of the spirit world, fell asleep when night transitioned to day. Tubs were scrubbed, service bells stopped ringing, and even the yunas were fast asleep in the dorm — or sometimes, in the arms of a wealthy guest. Even as the bustle of bathhouse quietened, one person always slept the last — Kamaji, the eight-limbed boiler man.

Having eight limbs had its advantages. There was no need to move around, everything was within reach. And right now, after stoking fires for the evening, he wanted nothing more than a good dose of sake. Reaching one of his arms behind him, Kamaji opened a drawer right at the top and pulled out a glass bottle. His humble fingers uncorked the bottle with a flick. Throwing his head backwards, the boiler man took a swig of his well-deserved treat.

"Drinking in the morning?" A voice called from the door.

"Why do you care eh, dragon boy?" Kamaji replied toothily before taking another swig, "want to join me?" A smile tugged at the corner of Haku's lips as he grabbed the bottle from Kamaji. There were only two people at the bathhouse he could be himself with — Rin and the old boiler man.

"Well you look like death warmed up, what happened?" Kamaji questioned.

"The usual. Guests. Damned Prince of the North. Damned ladies… and their damned _special_ requests," Haku rolled his eyes.

"I would imagine most males would kill to do your job,"Kamaji smiled wryly at his employer, "you get to _massage_ beautiful females from all the lands and then you get _paid_ for it."

"Am I a master of a bathhouse or a common whore to you, Kamaji?" Haku scoffed.

At that, Kamaji guffawed and spat out a mouthful of sake. Haku chuckled to himself, laughing at his own expense. It felt good to drink with someone who didn't want favours from him for a change. A comfortable silence followed and both men took in the moment of solace one rarely found at a bustling, gossip-filled bathhouse.

"That's not what brings you're here, though," Kamaji's coarse voice interrupted the quiet. "Is it Chihiro?"

Haku nodded, not speaking a word. "I felt a wave of sadness and then a deep sense of longing from her. I thought she was in trouble," he took a swig of Sake before continuing. "You know what's the worst part? When this happens I sometimes can't tell apart her feelings from my own."

Kamaji stared into the fire without saying a word. Sometimes there was no need to, and he knew this was one of those times.

"I was all over the bathhouse looking for her. Couldn't find her in the dorms. Couldn't find her anywhere," Haku whispered, shuddering at the experience, "and then, finally… I caught her at the river. Scared me half to death."

"Haku, you know what's happening don't you?" Kamaji finally spoke up. "It's the other side. Her subconscious is missing home, Haku."

"I know, I know…" Haku covered his face with his hands in frustration.

"Why are you keeping her here like this, boy?" Kamaji's coarse voice, "what happened?"

Haku took a long pause and struggled to find the right words to answer Kamaji's question. Light was blaring through the windows and not a single spirit was awake at this hour. Turning to look intently at Kamaji, Haku decided on the safest form of communication and thought at the old boiler man.

_I bonded myself to her. Sort of. _

"What do you mean sort of, kid? You either did or you didn't." Kamaji's eyes narrowed at Haku.

_It's complicated. _

Communicating through thoughts required focus and deep concentration. While most spirits can receive thoughts easily, only spirits skilled in magic can send thoughts across. Taking a deep breath, Haku dug deep and revealed his bond with Chihiro here for the first time.

_I found her… at my banks. She was unconscious and her life force was fading fast. I … I couldn't help it, I can't bear to watch her die. Not at my banks. So… I committed taboo. A part of my soul was forcibly planted in her to make up for her fading life force. _

Closing his eyes, Haku took a short pause before continuing.

_Since she technically didn't accept my essence in her, she's not fully spirit and neither is she fully human. Going back… there will be complications._

"Have you told her?" Kamaji whispered.

Haku shook his head. _I don't know where to begin. She can't remember anything about herself when she woke up. She doesn't even know she isn't from this realm. Explaining will be difficult… and dangerous. _Silence followed as Kamaji took time to take it all in.

"I haven't told anyone, not even Zeniba," Haku spoke up.

"You're threading on thin ice, Haku," Kamaji looked intently at him.

"I owe her my life, Kamaji. More than that, I owe her everything I own today." Haku leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. It has been a long, tiring day and he was awash with exhaustion. Just four more hours and the bathhouse would awake again but Haku knew he wouldn't find sleep any time soon. Not after that conversation.

And just then, he felt it. It started as a small spark and the feeling grew in his chest. A warm sense of contentment swelled inside of him and he immediately knew it was from Chihiro. For once, Chihiro was having strong, pleasant emotions.

_I just want you to be happy, Chihiro. I'll find a way to work something out, please give me some time…_

Just like that, the simplest sense of contentment from Chihiro had melted all his anxieties away. Haku scooted lower and rolled onto his side, lying on the floor. Before long, the master of the bathhouse dozed off, sleeping in a corner of the boiler room just as he did 16 years ago.

* * *

_Chihiro. Chihiro._

There it was again. The vast expanse of blue. It's been so busy the past two weeks at the bathhouse and Chihiro had almost forgotten about this dream. All at once, floating in this body of blue felt familiar and strangely comforting.

_I just want you to be happy, Chihiro._

"Who are you?" Chihiro wondered aloud.

_I'll find a way to work something out, please give me some time…_

"No, please don't go," Chihiro reached her hands out as the blue gradually turned dark at the corners of her vision. "Come back!" In an instant, Chihiro bolted upright and her eyes shot open. The daytime light was blinding and she tried to adjust to her surroundings. Looking about her curiously, she realised that she had fallen asleep at the banks of the river. Except, the river wasn't there anymore. What used to be a river is now a vast plain and a tall, red tower stood at the other end.

The spirit world looked completely different in daytime. It was all very beautiful and Chihiro realised that it was the first time she had been up at such an ungodly hour. It was nice, though, getting to see this beautiful world in the daylight. Although it did feel a little lonely, since everyone was asleep. A sense of curiosity rose within her and Chihiro contemplated crossing the plane to _the other side_. Just as she stood up, Haku's worried look immediately came to mind and she had a nagging feeling that if she had crossed over the plain, he wouldn't be happy about it. She decided that it was better to ask her boss about the river and the alluring red clock tower.

Chihiro made her way back into the bathhouse. Her mind was preoccupied with thoughts about the river, her dream, and quite strangely, Master Haku. Although she had only been in the bathhouse for a short while, it's funny how she instinctively knew her way around. She pulled the lever of the elevator and pressed the floor to the dorm. All the way up, Chihiro couldn't keep the memory of Haku out of her mind. The way his cool hands felt against her cheeks, or just the way he looked at her… it was always as if he had something to say to her and she couldn't help but be drawn to him.

The elevator stopped with a _bing_ and Chihiro stepped out, smiling to herself. She didn't know much about master Haku but somehow, she trusted him with all her heart. something about Master Haku made her feel so… perfectly safe. A warm sense of comfort rose in her chest and for the first time since she had awoken, Chihiro felt contented and comforted.

"You know, you do owe me a favour," a smooth, familiar voice called from behind her.

Spinning around, Chihiro looked to the source of the voice and recognised the spirit immediately. It was the guest she had bumped into last week. She felt her face turn warm, flushed with embarrassment.

"I saved you from that lecherous toad, didn't I?" Kenta raised a brow at Chihiro.

"I… I…" Chihiro stammered. The comforting feelings she had immediately dissipated into thin air. "How can I repay your kindness, sir?" She bowed lowly.

A long pause passed between the two and Chihiro was staring at her feet, awaiting the guest's reply. Finally, he spoke up.

"Draw me a bath," Kenta smirked.


	11. Chapter 11: The Perfect Host

_Note: as some of you might realise, there are gaps in the narrative of this story. I recently got a comment asking me whether Haku is really sleeping with these girls or whether it's just a massage. It's completely up to your interpretation and what you think of Haku's character & what you think his circumstances demands from him. As you can tell by now, Haku is a morally ambiguous character - just as he was in the Spirited Away film (one hell of a masterpiece). In view of that, I'm trying to continue in the same vein._

_I try not to be too clear about certain details because I believe that a reader's imagination is just as important as the written narrative. If everything was explicitly explained, there wouldn't be much room left for your imagination, would it?_

**Chapter 11: The Perfect Host**

Tonight's shift was unusually busy. Orders for dessert came in one after another and the kitchen was running out of clean plates. As the kitchen's newest staff, Chihiro didn't have much say and before she knew it, she was allocated the busiest post for the night: the dishwasher.

"No matter how fast I move, these dishes keep piling up!" Chihiro exclaimed as a new stack of dirty dishes plonked onto the counter.

"Here, let me give you hand," Rin rolled up her sleeves and stepped in to help. "You're not the only one who hates social nights. A party upstairs means hell for everyone downstairs," Rin rolled her eyes. Chihiro turned to smile at Rin who was trying to get into her apron. Although she had only known Rin for a few weeks, she felt a comforting sense of familiarity with her supervisor; Rin was like the sister she never had.

"Thanks for helping, Rin. But you're my supervisor, this really isn't-"

"Oh, shut it!" Rin cut Chihiro short and quickly started doing the dishes.

"If you think this is bad, it's going to get worse during the matsuri in a few weeks," Rin scoffed. "you'll need all the help you can get, I assure you."

"You mean even more spirits are visiting?" Chihiro's brows shot up at the thought of tackling a mountain of dishes.

"You bet! It's supposed to be the winter festival. Merchants and highborn spirits like to drop by and build relations and get to meet new faces. But we all know what that means," Rin turned to look at Chihiro, hands on her hips. "Ladies from all parts of the spirit world will visit and try to win Haku's heart."

Memories of her encounter with Haku at the river flooded into Chihiro's mind. His hands felt cool against her cheeks and his face just inches away from her. She felt her face turn warm and she snapped out of that thought immediately. The audacity to think Master Haku would be remotely attracted to a lowly servant like her!

"D-do you think Master Haku would choose any of these ladies?"

"Uh-uh," Rin shook her head. "He can be stupid at times but I'm sure he's got better taste in that department."

"You mean Lady Hisae?" Chihiro asked without missing a beat.

"Wha-? Oh, shut it Chihiro. I've told you before to never say that," Rin splashed soapy dishwater at Chihiro.

"Hey!" Chihiro cried as she unsuccessfully ducked away. "She's beautiful, why not?"

"I don't know!" Run turned away, feeling flustered. Chihiro said nothing and went back to doing the dishes with more than a few questions on her mind.

"Oh, speaking of that lizard," Run broke the silence, "remember the last time I told you he wanted to meet you sometime? Do you think you can visit his quarters after your shift tonight?"

"Oh. Uh, okay," Chihiro answered tentatively.

"Don't worry, silly! it's going to be fine. It's just a chat." Rin flashed a smile at Chihiro and gave her a thumbs up.

* * *

Hisae threw her head back, downing a shot of sake while she watched the languid movements of the elegant dancer. The spirit was a hired dancer, a swallow spirit from the South. She moved with an easy grace; the long sleeves of her indigo kimono flittered and fanned as she moved to a bitter-sweet song that welcomed the winter and paid homage to falling leaves.

It was one of those social nights at the bathhouse. Honoured guests from different parts of the lands have gathered here for a short stay and Haku had invited selected guests to enjoy a night of sake and entertainment. The Aburaya was known for their range of cleansing herbal baths but soaking in a luxurious onsen was not why these guests were here. Each had their own agenda, and Haku knew; he knew how to keep these guests happy.

Downing another shot, Hisae cast a sidelong glance at Haku, who was sitting beside her. Tonight, he was dressed in an ebony silk haori and a pair of sea-green hakama that matched the colour of his eyes. The temperatures were cold outside, but the room was warm and Haku's thin clothes brought out his broad shoulders and lean, muscular build.

"I do hope you're enjoying yourself," Haku flashed a disarming smile, flirting lightly with the coral spirit two seats away from him. These social gatherings at the bathhouse always brought out a side of Haku that Hisae didn't necessarily like. But this was part of his duties as head of the Aburaya and she knew that.

Cigar in one hand and a glass of sake in another, Haku was drinking and laughing with his guests, just as the master of a bathhouse should. _Number two. _Hisae was discreetly keeping count of the number of cigars Haku had smoked. She never told him this but she could always tell how he was truly feeling from the number of cigars he had had despite his convincing act. If anything, Haku was an excellent host, always attentive and always had a natural charm. He was all at once inviting and enigmatic, witty and earnest. It's not hard to see why the ladies in their company were enchanted by this handsome dragon of the East. _Especially the fish from the south…_

Kaeda was clinging to Haku's arm, leaning her head on his shoulder. Hisae didn't miss the way she tittered away, giggling at one of his droll remarks. It's no secret that Kaeda had been batting eyes at Haku, finding ways to become the lady of the largest bathhouse in the spirit world.

"Oh Kohaku, your selection of sake has been irresistible tonight," Kaeda leaned into him, "are you sure you're not finding ways to make me drunk?"

Haku inhaled his cigar deeply before turning over to Kaeda, "Lady Kaeda, you know I'd never force anyone to do anything they don't want to," he soothed.

Averting her eyes, Hisae internally cringed at Kaeda's tasteless banter with Haku. _In front of the other honoured guests!_ She found it hard to believe the fish spirit was high born. Turning to her left, Hisae tried to start a conversation with the lobster spirit seated next to her but soon found that he was too drunk to speak. She looked about the room and took in the scene before her with a shaky breath. The swallow spirit continued to move with remarkable grace but was largely ignored by the guests. Merchants and other highborn spirits were in their midst, bantering and laughing among themselves.

She was tired. _Is this what being highborn is all about? _Just then, her thoughts were interrupted by a gruff voice.

"Fantastic! What a beautiful performance!" The salamander spirit, a merchant from the South loudly exclaimed with a bottle of sake in hand. His eyes were wide like marbles, never leaving the dancer.

"It's my pleasure, sir," the dancer lowered her eyes and bowed lowly.

Struggling to his feet, the merchant clumsily walked towards the dancer in his drunken state. "Give me more, won't you?" He slurred with a lascivious smile. A look of panic fleeted across the swallow's face and she cast a quick nervous glance at Haku. She was not a yuna but as a hired dancer, she was still at the mercy of her employer for the night. Sensing that the salamander spirit was moving steadily towards her, she took a few steps back in panic. The music had stopped playing.

"A toast!" Haku called out suddenly and all eyes were on him. "A toast to the richest merchant of our lands," he raised his cup of sake and motioned towards the salamander. At that, all the spirits in the room took up their glasses and waited for the salamander spirit to accept their salutations. Sensing that he was the focus of attention, the salamander spirit received the toast in gratitude and moved about the room accepting well wishes. Taking advantage of the commotion, Haku nodded at the dancer and signalled her to leave quietly. The frightened swallow spirit bowed lowly and quickly left, narrowly escaping the lecherous salamander.

Lowering her eyes, Hisae smiled to herself, relieved that a messy situation had been avoided. It was a precarious situation but Hisae felt happy for the swallow, somehow. She didn't always agree with Haku's decisions but she knew he kept to his morals. A different bathhouse master might not have done the same to save a hired dancer.

"You must be Lady Hisae, the willow tree of the East," a voice behind Hisae spoke lowly, "I've heard all about your beauty and I must say, the praises don't do you justice."

Hisae turned around slowly and found herself facing a deer spirit. He had a tall, strong build, tanned skin and white spots on both sides of his high cheek bones. Even in his humanoid form, his prominent antlers stuck out his head of chestnut brown hair.

"You're far too kind," Hisae smiled warmly at her new acquaintance.

"My name is Haruto, but some call me Haru," the deer spirit introduced himself. "Truly, Lady Hisae, I wasn't joking about your beauty. It's a pity the master of the bathhouse doesn't have better taste." The two turned to look at Haku who was chatting with a few ladies at the far corner of the room.

"Well, Master Kohaku and I are dear friends. It would be weird if he started making eyes at me," Hisae laughed lightly. It was nice chatting with a gentleman after witnessing the scene with the salamander. The two spoke for a while and Hisae learned that it was Haruto's first visit to the bathhouse. He was here to negotiate new trading terms. She had to admit the deer spirit was courteous and a refreshing character in this frivolous company. With a glass of sake in hand, she smiled and laughed at the right moments as they chatted.

Soon, Hisae emptied her glass and excused herself to get a new fill of sake. Moving across the room, she stole a glance at Haku who was still sober after downing countless shots of sake. _Number three. _It was Haku's third cigar and Hisae knew that that meant Haku was fringing on feeling completely stressed out. He played the perfect host but Hisae knew he was drained, exhausted from putting up a front. Most of all, he was lonely. In a room full of spirits, perhaps she was the only one on his side. She was his only companion and her heart went out to him.

"You know, Lady Kaeda's right," Kenta's voice was within Hisae's earshot. "You have a fantastic selection of sake," he moved towards Haku with a bottle in hand.

Raising his brows at Kenta, Haku replied, "I'm glad you're enjoying your night, your highness."

"Your yunas on the other hand… well, they're alright," a smile tugged at the corner of Kenta's lips before he added, "you do have a wonderful _new_ staff, that I must say… she's lovely."

A look of bewilderment flitted across Haku's usually calm demeanour. Standing quite close to the two, Hisae knew exactly who Kenta was referring to. _Chihiro. _

"She's a little clumsy, maybe. But I much prefer if she serves me the next time I'm here. I'm sure you can see to that, Master Kohaku?" Kenta's small smile spread to a wide grin. Haku stiffened and felt a pang of fear shoot through his spine. For the first time tonight, he was lost for words. _Does he know? No, her scent is masked. He shouldn't be able to detect her… did something else happen? _An internal war waged within Haku and every fibre of his being was on edge. Just as Haku opened his mouth to reply, a weight fell upon him from behind and he stumbled forward, nearly knocking into Kenta.

"Oh, dear! Kohaku!" Kaeda, in her drunken state, quite literally threw herself on Haku, spilling half a bottle of sake on his garments.

"Kohaku, are you alright?" Hisae rushed over towards Haku, peeling Kaeda off him.

"I - I'm fine, Lady Hisae. Thank you," Haku managed, trying to regain his composure. Catching on to the commotion, the servants quickly went forward and Hisae helped them usher a giggling Kaeda back to her room.

"What a mess. And she calls herself a lady," Kenta shot a disapproving look at Kaeda's direction.

"Sorry about that, your highness," Haku finally found his voice again.

"Oh, no no no, we all know you're not at fault," Kenta replied sincerely. He didn't like Haku's guts but he couldn't deny Haku had been a perfect host all evening. If it wasn't because of the spirit world's politics, he truly believed the both of them could have been great friends.

"Listen, Master Kohaku," Kenta started, after a short pause, I'm leaving the bathhouse in right after the matsuri. Let's go out for fly before then."

_Go out for a fly?_ Haku didn't quite know what to make of this. After their unpleasant discussion and the prince's cryptic comment about Chihiro, he didn't think meeting Kenta alone was a good idea. Haku flew often and dragons were strong flyers but the winds still belonged to Kenta, a wind spirit from the North. Haku pulled out another cigar and lit it slowly to buy himself some time.

Sensing some uneasiness from Haku, Kenta thought it better to clarify himself, "we only ever talk about politics. You've hosted me perfectly on countless occasions and I thought it would be nice to get to know each other in a different light."

Haku took a long drag of his cigar and exhaled deeply before he replied tentatively, "well, sure." He was caught off guard by Kenta's strangely amicable invitation. With that, Kenta wished Haku good night, bowed lowly, and left the company of the mostly drunk guests. Haku's perplexed gaze followed Kenta as he slipped out of the room. _What exactly does he want?_

"What's the matter, Kohaku?" Haku felt a hand placed softly on his shoulder. Turning around swiftly, Haku half expected to find himself faced with one of the flirtatious ladies. Instead, he found himself face to face with Hisae, the only person he trusted in this room. Her brows were slightly furrowed, her expression full of concern. Haku looked upon her familiar face and a sense of relief washed over him.

"He wanted to go out for a fly. Said he wanted to be friends or something and I agreed." Despite the nagging sense that something was up, Haku smiled widely at Hisae. Finally, he could speak frankly for a change.

Hisae opened her mouth to respond but Haku's brows shot up and he looked as though he had just remembered something. "What is it now?" She questioned.

"It's late, I think I may have to leave," Haku surveyed the room and found that most of his guests were drunk anyway. "I'll ask a servant to clean up. If anyone asks, can you tell them I've retired?" He whispered in Hisae's ear.

"Of course, Kohaku," Hisae nodded, blushing slightly at their proximity. Haku had rarely left these gatherings early unless he had something important to attend to. _It's Chihiro, I suppose? _Hisae knew all about Chihiro and the history she shared with Haku but she had never expected to meet the human girl in her lifetime_. _

_In all the spirit world, I'm the willow tree that rests closest to your heart, aren't I? Yes. Yes, I am. _She truly believed so. If a look of concern was on Hisae's face, Haku didn't see it. In an instant, he had left her side and was now speaking to one of his attendants.

_Number four._ Hisae smiled sadly at the dragon as he disappeared into the crowd, cigar in hand.


	12. Chapter 12: Encounters

**Chapter 12: Encounters**

She'd be lying if she wasn't nervous about meeting her boss alone in his office right after her shift. Chihiro's first week at the bathhouse didn't exactly go smoothly and seeing that she's been moved to the kitchens…it was evident that her employer didn't want her handling the hospitality side of the bathhouse.

"Master Haku? May I come in?" Chihiro's voice quivered a little.

"Yes, come in please," Haku's voice called out. Sliding the door open, Chihiro stepped in timidly, not sure what to expect. Haku was bent over his desk and signing off some documents. He looked up from his paperwork and smiled at Chihiro.

It was the first time she'd seen Haku smile. Or rather, it was the first time Haku had smiled at her genuinely. It was quite a change from his usual serious expression and it reminded her of a cool breeze on a warm summer's day…

However, his disarming smile slowly faded away and turned into a frown. _What's wrong? _His lips were moving and Chihiro felt…strangely disappointed.

"Chihiro? Chihiro?" Haku stood up and was about to walk towards the girl. Chihiro snapped out of her stupor and blushed profusely. Little did she know, she was standing at the doorway, gawking at her boss. Feeling her face turn warm, Chihiro started to fiddle with her headscarf as she clumsily stumbled forward and sat down across Haku.

"I'm sorry!" she responded almost too apologetically.

"What for?" Haku asked, feeling genuinely curious.

"Oh! Um nothing. I mean…" She struggled to find the right words to say, she was fidgeting and her hands were starting to adjust her headscarf again. Haku could have sworn he had seen her smiling and laughing with the staff. So why was she so nervous around him?

"Well… about the first day, I know I wasn't performing up to standards," Chihiro managed, feeling immensely embarrassed, "And yesterday at the river, I really wasn't trying to escape the bathhouse…"

_God, this isn't how I want to start a conversation with her._ Before he knew it, Haku raised his hand and cut Chihiro short.

An uncomfortable silence passed before Chihiro timidly apologised,"I'm sorry, I'm blabbering. I shouldn't speak so much." She sank in her seat. She was starting to think that perhaps she was indeed in some kind of trouble.

"Oh, no no no no! That's not what I meant, Chihiro," A sense of dread started to rise in Haku's chest and he felt Chihiro's fear through the bond he had forged with her. He was scaring her. Putting his hand down, Haku internally slapped himself for being so rude — it was out of his character. Even when the most demanding guests made him feel uncomfortable, he hid his feelings seamlessly. But somehow, right now…

_Am I feeling… awkward? _What an incredulous thought! Dragons are mighty, prideful, and many other qualities but awkward… _Do dragons even feel… awkward? _Haku took in a deep breath and tried to calm himself down, realising that his mannerisms were causing a misunderstanding.

"I really just…well, I wanted to invite you here for tea. Uh that is, tea with me," Haku internally cringed at how stupid he sounded but pushed on nonetheless. "I don't want you thinking you've done a bad job. I think you're doing a wonderful job," Haku managed. Reaching for the teapot, he poured the both of them tea and smiled at her once he had filled the teacups.

Receiving the teacup with both hands, Chihiro thanked her boss, "you've been very kind to me, Master Haku." Perhaps it was the soothing hot tea or perhaps it was Master Haku's reassurance — the pounding in her chest slowed down and calmness washed over her.

"I hope things at the bathhouse haven't been too difficult for you?" Haku asked genuinely. "I know it can be quite busy and it's a lot to take in when you're new."

"Oh, it's been great! I mean, there were some slip ups once in a while, I'm sure you know… But I think the kitchens have been wonderful!" Chihiro beamed and Haku loved the way Chihiro's face lit up. A kind of warmth he hadn't felt in years reverberated through him.

"Your smile, it looks marvellous on you." The words rolled off his tongue almost too easily. Resting his face on his hand, he looked intently at Chihiro and caught her blushing profusely. Fiddling with the hem of her shirt, she daren't meet Haku's soft gaze and nodded her appreciation silently. Haku could feel her bashfulness through their bond and couldn't help but find the human before him the most adorable person he's ever met.

"You know, you may go to the river any time you wish to," Haku spoke up, after a moment of silence. "It can be noisy at the bathhouse and we all need our little sanctuary."

"Is this your sanctuary, Master Haku?" Chihiro asked, regarding the room with curious eyes.

"Well, not quite. My sanctuary is elsewhere, where my river runs," Haku replied, as he took a sip of his tea, "I'm a river spirit, in case I forgot to tell you."

"Oh! That's amazing!" Chihiro clapped her hands together. "I wonder what kind of spirit I am? I don't really seem to remember and no one has told me," she thought aloud.

"Uh… ahem, I'm not sure either," Haku muttered, caught off guard by her question. "But, uh… I did find you at the banks of my river."

Chihiro's eyes widened.

"Besides wanting to know how you've been doing, I wanted to speak to you tonight because I want to talk about the… uh, the night we met," Haku managed as he took out a cigar. "I hope you don't mind?" He asked, waving his cigar. Chihiro shook her head, no. Her eyes stared intently at Haku, waiting for him to continue. To tell her anything about her past. Haku took a long drag of his cigar, buying himself some time as he tried to find the right words.

"It was the end of a busy day at the bathhouse and after my meeting with Zeniba, I was going to retire," he started quietly with lowered eyes. "Then, as I was about to head to bed, I felt a disturbance. It felt as though something was forcibly pushed through my element, my heart was racing and my head was pounding. Immediately, I knew something was terribly wrong and flew over to my river as soon as I can… and that was when I found you lying at my banks."

"I thought you were dead," Haku glanced up and met Chihiro's wide brown eyes. "You were just lying there. You were motionless and your breathing was so faint… and then, I brought you back here. Back to the bathhouse." As he recounted the events, Haku felt as though he was reliving these moments all over again.

Chihiro said nothing. But a deep frown marred her face and she seemed troubled.

"What's the matter? Do you have any memory of how you got here?" Haku asked softly but couldn't mask the urgency in his voice.

Chihiro shook her head, no. "I don't remember anything. But I do remember… I remember…"

"What is it?"

"I don't know how to say this… This might sound quite silly and stupid, but I remember a dream and everything was blue," Chihiro closed her eyes tightly and tried to recall.

"Blue?"

"Blue. Lots of blue surrounding me. It felt like it was talking to me, that big, vast blue… I can't really remember anything else but I remember some… feelings," Chihiro covered her face with her hands as her mind worked to find the right words.

"What sort of feelings?"

Chihiro opened her eyes again and met Haku's gaze. "Well, at first I was afraid but then later, it was different. I felt… I felt warmth. I felt, safe. Calm. And… and l-lo-love…" A tear rolled down Chihiro's cheek. She didn't seem to realise it.

_Love._ The word hit Haku like a wave. _She can feel… my feelings? _Slowly, Haku rose from his seat and sat down next to Chihiro. Her hands were interlocked and her lips quivered.

"This is a lot to take in isn't it?" Haku's quiet voice whispered in Chihiro's ear. He wrapped her hands in his and simply held them for a while. They sat there in silence. Sometimes, there was no need for words. Chihiro's eyes watered and had a faraway look as she stared ahead, speechless. Haku knew he had brought this upon her and felt a deep ache in his chest. For a moment, they simply stayed this way. The room was silent in the quiet and .

Perhaps it was the sound of cackling fire, or the sudden gust of wind which blew out the table lamp. Chihiro blinked her tears away and was drawn back to reality. Looking over her shoulder, she found herself face to face with Haku and felt her face turn warm. Bashfully, she withdrew her hands from Haku's and wiped away the tears from her face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be such a mess," Chihiro let out a small, quiet laugh, "but thanks for telling me about how I came to the bathhouse, Master Haku." She was genuinely grateful.

"Well, maybe we can continue this conversation another evening," Haku adjusted his position and gave her a little more space. "Tell me, what have you been doing at the bathhouse recently?" He leaned an elbow on the table and propped his head on his hand.

As Chihiro recounted her daily tasks, the heavy mood began to lift. It was hard work at the bathhouse but she enjoyed her time here, truly_._ As she went down the list of her duties, she lightly complained about the never ending dishes she had been tasked to tackle.

"It's an impossible task!" Chihiro exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. As the words left her, she realised that she was, in fact, speaking too candidly with Master Haku. "B-but you know… it was okay…" She stole a glance at Haku and tried to play it normal, although quite unsuccessfully.

"Oh, and at dawn, before my last shift, I bumped into that guest again," she tried to change the subject. "He told me his name is Kenta."

"Kenta?" Haku's eyes narrowed. The conversation with Kenta earlier that evening came to his mind. _Could this be… _"What about him? What did he say, Chihiro?"

"He asked me to draw him a bath," Chihiro replied matter-of-factly. Haku swallowed. In all his years at the bathhouse, he had never heard anyone say those words as innocently as this human girl did.

"You're not a yuna, Chihiro. You don't need to perform these pleasures," Haku sighed deeply. A foul mood was rising within him.

"I know, Master Haku. But he did save me twice that day…" Her voice faded away as she sensed tension in the air. "Besides, he didn't try anything strange with me. I simply drew the water for him and handed him his towels. That was it."

"Did he say anything else? Or ask you for other favours?" Haku grabbed Chihiro by her shoulders, searching her eyes for answers.

"N-No, he didn't, Master Haku…H-He just asked me for my name a-and then he insisted that I call him 'Kenta' instead of 'sir'," Chihiro stammered.

"Well, in the future, try to stay away from him," Haku let go of Chihiro abruptly.

"Why, Master Haku? He saved me twice. He seems like a wonderful guest too! Like a true gentlemen and-"

"Enough, Chihiro. Your job is to serve the interest of the bathhouse, not give favours to any particular guest," Haku cut her short and looked away.

An awkward silence passed before Chihiro spoke up, "I'm sorry Master Haku, I was out of line."

Haku cleared his throat and tried to calm himself down. It was difficult keeping his emotions in when it came to her. He couldn't understand it and that fuelled his frustration even more. Just as Haku was about to respond, there was a knock on the door.

"Who could that be, at this hour," Haku rolled his eyes as he got up. He was annoyed and Chihiro sensed it. She promptly stood up and knew it was her cue to leave.

"I'm sorry Chihiro, I didn't mean to snap at you," Haku helped Chihiro up, "it has been a long night at the bathhouse. I hope you understand."

"Oh, no master Haku. I shouldn't have taken up so much of your time this evening. It's getting late too, isn't it? I should go back to my dorm." She bowed lowly and quickly moved towards the door with Haku behind her.

"Chihiro," as she was about to slide open the door, Haku lay his hand on hers gently.

"Y-Yes, Master Haku?" Turning around, Chihiro found herself under the earnest gaze of her master. Immediately, her heart rate picked up.

"Chihiro, will you come and have tea with me after your shifts next time?" The words just rolled off his tongue. Standing just an inch from Chihiro, he could smell her musky scent and the lingering scent of her shampoo.

Haku was a head taller than her and his emerald green eyes glistened with intensity. Standing between this towering man and the door, Chihiro felt her chest tighten. She wanted to turn away and run but couldn't bring herself to move. A part of her wanted to reach out and close the distance and… and —

_"Swat!"_ Out of nowhere, Chihiro smacked her cheeks with both hands.

"Wha—" stunned, Haku backed away and wondered if his request was terribly out of line.

"I'm sorry, I think I misheard you, what did you say Master Haku?" Chihiro blabbered, realising she must have looked like a fool in front of her boss.

"Oh… I was hoping that you might come and have tea with me… you know, after your shifts?" Haku scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "I just want to … speak with my staff and know what's going on on the grounds."

"Oh," Chihiro's face was bright red by now and she was fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "Yes, sure of course, Master Haku,"she said with a bow. After wishing her boss a good rest, Chihiro turned around and slid open the door. As the door opened, she found herself face to face with another spirit. Dressed in a lavish maroon robe covered in intricate golden embroidered flowers, the spirit exuded a posh aura. Her long silky hair was gathered and braided to one side, framing her painted face. Realising immediately that she was one of the bathhouse's honoured guests, Chihiro took a deep bow in greeting.

"Lady Kaeda, how nice to see you," Haku said as he appeared behind Chihiro. "It's getting quite late, you can ring a bell if you need to be attended to, my lady."

"Oh, it's nothing, really," Kaeda moved passed Chihiro and held Haku's arm in her hands. "I just thought I'd invite you over to my room for tea, Kohaku… But I see you have company?" Kaeda eyed Chihiro as her grip on Haku's arm tightened.

"Yes, she's new and I wanted to check on how she's doing," Haku replied smoothly.

"How lovely of you Kohaku,"Kaeda smiled, "what's her name?"

"This is Chihiro," Haku gestured towards the human girl who was awkwardly fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "Chihiro, this is our honoured guest, Lady Kaeda." Haku had a long list of agenda but introducing Chihiro and Kaeda to each other was definitely not one of them. Kaeda was demanding and scheming. He immediately regretted the moment he introduced the two.

"Lady Kaeda, I hope your stay here has been pleasant," Chihiro took another bow.

"It's always a pleasure to be in the largest bathhouse of the spirit world, especially when you get to be hosted by Kohaku" Kaeda's eyes never left Kohaku. "I loved the social night, by the way…"

"Master Haku, Lady Kaeda, I shall excuse myself," Chihiro didn't know why but she felt an aching pain in her chest when she saw Kaeda and Haku together. She had a wonderful time with her boss but suddenly, the feelings of distrust rose within her. She left, feeling a little shaken and dumbfounded.

Chihiro disappeared into the elevator but Haku could still feel her confused emotions through their bond. Her turbulent feelings were intermixed with his own protective instincts, an urgent need to comfort her, and something else. An aching sense of guilt. For the first time, he felt ashamed of the intimacy he and Kaeda displayed — a show he had never been contrite of before.

Shutting the door behind him as Kaeda stepped into his room, Haku wondered how a human girl could make him feel _things_ he had never experienced before.

* * *

The sun shone brightly and the spirit world was in a quiet slumber. Lost in thought, Chihiro had forgotten to press the button to the girls' dorm and found herself taking the lift all the way to the bottom floor. The bathhouse was large and although she had taken a tour of it on her first day, she was still quite unfamiliar with the place. Usually, she was under the watchful eye of Rin and Haku which meant that she didn't have the chance to explore. Seeing that she was alone, she decided to take a walk on her own.

She headed nowhere in particular, lost in thought. The image of Kaeda and Haku together was seared in her mind. Although she knew it was not her place to comment, something about their intimacy bothered her but she didn't know why. As she walked on lost in thought, she subconsciously walked towards a small, warm room.

"Are you lost, girl?" A gruff voice spoke up. Peeling her eyes from the floor, Chihiro gaped at what she saw: an eight-limbed spirit looked back at her.


	13. Chapter 13: Confession

**Chapter 13: Confession**

"Something bothering you, Chihiro?" A pair of hands squeezed Chihiro's shoulders and the human girl jumped.

_"Eeep!" _Chihiro snapped her head around and found herself face to face with Rin. Her supervisor's large questioning eyes loomed over her. "Oh, dear god. I'm alright, Mistress Rin… I think?" She lay a hand over her pounding chest and tried to calm down.

Just like the previous evening, the kitchen was extremely busy. Luckily for Chihiro, she wasn't the assigned dishwasher this evening. Aogeru came in at the start of the shift and announced that a new schedule is in place — kitchen roles will be rotated between kitchen helpers, _orders from upstairs_. She had a sneaky suspicion that it had something to do with her conversation with Haku last night.

Tonight, Chihiro was plating desserts. It's probably one of the more glamorous roles in the kitchen and definitely a step up from washing dishes. After making her usual rounds, Rin had come over to give Chihiro a hand. She wasn't worried about the workload; menial tasks in the kitchen are a bore but they were not difficult. What she was more concerned with was Chihiro's safety. If the human girl had somehow made her way upstairs, like the time she almost had tea with Lady Hisae, Rin knew she would be skinned alive by Haku.

"Plating desserts this evening, I see. Luck you eh?" Rin elbowed Chihiro. The human chuckled and elbowed her back.

"By the way, I didn't see you in the dorm. Where did you go?" Rin glanced over at Chihiro while she sieved sugar onto a delicate plate of matcha filled mochi.

"Oh, I spent the night in the boiler room. I should have informed you but it was already mid morning and you were asleep, so I didn't wake you," Chihiro replied apologetically.

"The boiler room? So you met Kamaji then!"

"Yes, I did. I got a shock at first but he's a lot nicer than he looks," Chihiro said as she placed a strawberry on a small bowl of strawberry pudding. "After offering me some tea, he insisted that I went to bed and pulled out extra blankets for me.

"It's strange. Kamaji looks intimidating and I was really scared at first but somehow, I knew I could trust him. I feel as though he's my own grandfather, isn't that silly?" She glanced up at Rin and blushed. Her confession sounded strange even to her own ears.

_"She's my granddaughter,"_ the words spoken by Kamaji 16 years ago resounded in Rin's mind.

"Oh, um… of course not Chihiro," Rin looked away immediately and busied herself with decorating the desserts. "It's not silly at all, really. I really like Kamaji, too. He's one of the best people in the bathhouse," Rin managed. Chihiro nodded in agreement while she worked on garnishing a bowl of Azuki pudding with matcha powder. The two continued their work in silence.

"Um… Rin?" Chihiro started. Rin did not miss the undertones of uncertainty in her voice.

"Mm hmm?"

"Is Master Haku… you know… with any of the ladies?" Chihiro asked bashfully.

"By _with them_ do you mean engaged?"

Chihiro nodded her head, "after meeting Master Haku yesterday, Lady Kaeda visited him. They seem… close." She chose her words carefully, knowing that it was a touchy subject to bring up.

Rin rolled her eyes dramatically. "Stupid lizard…" She heaved a deep sigh before continuing, "Chihiro, when the matsuri comes, all the ladies of the lands will want a piece of Master Haku. He will be wrapped up in more scandals than he can handle but I want you to remember something," Rin said the next words slowly and clearly. "He's not _with_ any one of them. And he never will be, okay?"

"Is it because he's going to be with Lady Hisae?"

"Didn't you hear what I said? He's not _with_ any one of these damned ladies! Don't let him hear you talk like that. He's not going to like it!" Rin waved her hands around, exasperated.

"But everyone's gossiping at the bathhouse. They're all saying Master Haku is in his prime and he's going to pick a mate soon. Some of the staff are placing bets between Lady Hisae and Lady Kaeda," Chihiro couldn't understand why Master Haku's mateship was such a touchy subject.

Rin heaved a deep sigh. She was filled to the brim with things she couldn't talk about. _Hadn't Haku cleared this up with Chihiro over tea yesterday? Apparently not._ If Haku wasn't going to clean up the mess he's made, she'll have to step in, whether the dragon liked it or not.

"Chihiro, why not let's go out and have some girl time tonight? Just you and I."

"That would be nice Mistress Rin! Oh but I need to meet Master Haku tonight-"

"Ditch the lizard. I've got you covered, don't worry about it!" Run waved a hand at the human girl.

"Well, alright then," Chihiro smiled as she wiped away some sesame sauce off one of the dessert plates.

Upstairs, in the bathhouse, Haku felt a sense of excitement reverberating through him while he was managing the accounts. _Something's happening in the kitchens. Does she really enjoy plating dessert that much?_ His lip quipped into a lopsided smile and he made a mental note to ask Chihiro about it.

* * *

Haku loosened the collar of his monstuki in the elevator as he headed back to his quarters. Much to his relief, the elevator made its way directly to the top floor with no stops in between. No need for small talk, no need for banter with the ladies. The elevator reached his floor with a _bing_ and he stalked steadily towards his quarters, hoping not to bump into anyone along the way. When he reached his room, he quickly slipped in and swiftly slid the door close behind him.

"Agh…" Haku threw his head back and slumped his shoulders. All at once, his usual regal demeanour collapsed as he slumped unto his lounge. After a long evening of meetings and entertainment, the coral spirit finally agreed to the terms of the new trading agreement. Truth be told, there was no need to acquire more sea salts but with the impending conflict, solidifying strong ties with the South was important.

He hated these negotiations. Every aspect of the meeting was thoughtfully planned — the entertainment, the way he should speak to these guests and right down to the food they ate. These meetings were a living nightmare and the night's events continued to replay in his mind.

"Ahem, uh - Master Haku, may I come in?" Aogeru's voice called after giving the door a small knock.

"Oh, yes. Come in please, Aogeru," Haku replied and sat up straight on his lounge. The frog spirit entered and gave a slight bow. Looking upon his clipboard, he gave Haku a rundown of the agenda he had cleared and the last few meetings he had for the night.

"…And finally, you have a meeting with Zeniba, the witch, in a few moments. That will be all," the frog spirit cleared his throat and glanced up at his boss.

"Don't I have tea with Chihiro after that as well?" Haku raised his brows. It really was the only meeting he had been looking forward to.

"Oh uh, I'm sorry I forgot to mention this earlier. Mistress Rin left a message. She said that Chihiro the kitchen helper will be busy clearing out extra work tonight and she would have to attend to that instead."

_What sort of a silly excuse is that? Rin's pulling something. _Haku frowned but said nothing. Internally, he sighed deeply. He would have to wait till their next meeting to ask the girl why she was so happy with plating desserts.

"Thanks for your brief, Aogeru, you may leave," Haku gave a slight nod at the frog. Aogeru bowed deeply and quickly exited, leaving Haku alone with his thoughts. He sunk back into the lounge and closed his eyes. Just like bad dreams, remnants of the evening's exhausting events still clung to him even when it's long over.

"So, are you going to tell me straight or do I have to play along with your mind games?" A familiar voice cackled next to him.

"How curt, you hurt my feelings, Zeniba," Haku responded, without opening his eyes. He sensed the witch's presence before she spoke.

Zeniba rolled her eyes, "come on, out with it."

This was it. The meeting he was most anxious about has begun. Slowly, Haku got up from the lounge and walked towards the table at the centre of the room. He sat down and motioned for Zeniba to join him. Slipping his hand into his robe, Haku took out a cigar and lit it while he tried to find the right words. He didn't know where to start.

"Ahem. I uh…I'm sure you already know Chihiro and I share… _some kind _of bond," Haku began shakily and tried to avoid eye contact with Zeniba who was staring him down, unspeaking.

_Ha, some kind, you say. _Zeniba was clearly unimpressed but didn't voice her thoughts. It took tooth and nail to get Haku to come clean about Chihiro and she didn't want to interrupt him.

"The truth is, I committed taboo. I forcibly planted a part of my soul in her." An uncomfortable silence followed and Zeniba waited patiently for Haku to continue.

"You were right. The dreams… they bent reality and dragged her to our plane. Sh-She…When I found her, she was at my banks, unconscious." Haku shut his eyes. Recounting the events was difficult. Her limp body, lying dead still at his river; it was an image that would haunt him for the rest of his long existence.

Opening his eyes, Haku met Zeniba's serious eyes and let out a shaky breath. "I didn't think this was possible, and I still haven't figured out how she got here. You know about my river; it runs underground in the human world… I'm not sure how it — no, how _I_ managed to reach her.

"I felt a disturbance at my river. And when I flew there, she was just lying motionless at my banks. Her aura… I couldn't bear to watch it fade away. Everything I have, everything I am, right now… I owe her my life. So, I-I had to…" Haku didn't have to say it. Zeniba knew exactly which spell he had cast.

"You found her at your river, on the spirit plane… that's interesting," the witch frowned, "that means your river in the human world literally pulled her into this realm."

Haku nodded solemnly. "As you already know, I've removed my consciousness from the human world and only a small part of my subconscious remains there. I don't know how she and my river came in contact in the human world. I can't sense it. I thought she'd be able to tell me what happened but she can't remember a thing." Haku hid his face in his hands. It was sickening hearing these words spilling out from his own mouth.

Zeniba took in a deep breath. Even though she knew the nightmare Haku was having had something to do with Chihiro's reappearance, hearing it from Haku himself was a lot to take in.

"The memory lost; it might have something to do with your bond with her," Zeniba spoke quietly. "After all, she's not quite human and not fully spirit — essentially, her identity has been altered. This taboo you've committed, not many studies are done about it and it's effects are mostly speculated… but memory loss is a possible outcome."

"She's returned me my life, but I've robbed her of hers, Zeniba," Haku didn't try to mask the guilt and regret in his voice. "I should have listened to you. Perhaps if I had taken the potion and suppressed these memories this wouldn't have happened. I've let my desires… my desires…" Haku choked on his words.

Zeniba sighed deeply. It was no use rubbing salt on the dragon's wounds. "We can only move forward now and protect her as much as we can. I assume you haven't told her?"

"No… I know I can't hide her in the bathhouse forever but I don't want her getting caught in the conflict. She can't defend herself. Not here."

Zeniba sighed. Much has changed around here. Humans and spirits used to coexist peacefully but not anymore. "If it wasn't because of the North, we wouldn't be dragged into this damn mess," she muttered to herself. "Conquering the humans? What folly! Just as the human world can't exist without the spirit world, we can't exist without the humans. That's not the most worrying part though, you know that right?"

Haku nodded, he knew exactly what Zeniba was referring to.

"My sister. Yubaba is still out there, somewhere… The North says she's dead but I don't believe that for a second!" The old witch spat.

"You need come clean with Chihiro soon, Haku," Zeniba's seriousness was not lost on Haku. "Whether you like it or not, she's going to be wrapped up in this silly conflict. It's better to let her know about her humanness and the precautions she needs to take."

Haku nodded quietly and let the weight of the matter sink in.

"Don't take it too hard on yourself dragon. Truth be told, I'm not sure if drinking the potion was a good idea to begin with," the Witch looked away, reluctant to admit to her true feelings.

Haku glanced up at Zeniba, surprised.

"You said so yourself, you owe her your life. She's a part of who you are. Forgetting her…" Zeniba's lips curled into a crooked smile, "you would've become a terrible master. Maybe even worse than my own sister. She only cared for gold, god knows you'll be out for blood too. You might've even joined forces with the damn north to conquer the human world.

"Besides, these potions only suppress your consciousness. What's within your soul never leaves you and you never truly forget. Imagine gaining back your memories mid-conflict… I think you'd choose to commit that taboo a thousand times than to go through that."

"Thanks Zeniba," Haku really meant it.

"Don't thank me so quickly lizard boy," Zeniba shot back. "You're threading on thin ice. Now that Chihiro's here, you better get your act together."

Haku raised his brows, "I may not be one of the greatest witches in the spirit world but I've been working harder than ever, in case you couldn't tell."

Zeniba rolled her eyes. _That's not what I meant, how can the master of the Aburaya be so stupid. _She looked at him sternly and said the next words slowly, "stop fooling around with the ladies."

"You know I don't feel anything for them," Haku scoffed.

"Oh? You might want to tell Chihiro that yourself."

"What has Chihiro got to do with this, anyway?" Haku got up from his seat and moved towards the balcony. He never enjoyed discussing this issue, especially with Zeniba.

"It has everything to do with her," Zeniba shot back as she followed behind him. "You love her, Haku!" She raised her voice, exasperated.

"Well, she doesn't love me. She doesn't even remember me," he turned away from Zeniba and looked over the railings, into the distance.

The old witch shook her head. The dragon had much to learn but she knew it wasn't her place to teach him these lessons.

"Well…Not yet," she muttered with a quiet voice and faded away, into the cold winter air.

Haku remained still, looking at the nearby towns fixedly while the cold night air played with his hair. _What does she expect me to do? Tell Kaeda to leave me alone because I've long given my heart to a human girl? _ Just then, he spotted two figures far away in the distance, running towards the market. His eyesight was sharp and despite the distance, he immediately recognised the two. It was Rin and Chihiro.

"So that's why she couldn't have tea tonight," Haku rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress his smile. Unbeknownst to him, he wasn't the only one looking upon the scene.

Four floors down, Kaeda studied the girls carefully, her brows knitted into a frown. And then, slowly, a wicked smile tugged at the corners of her lips.


	14. Chapter 14: First Piece Of The Puzzle

**Chapter 14: First Piece Of The Puzzle**

_"Here, eat this… eat this… it will give you strength." A hand handed Chihiro a rice ball and she took it gratefully. _

_It was a warm summer's day and the garden was beautiful. Sitting down beside the tall bushes, she took a bite of the rice ball. And then another bite, and another. Before she knew it, tears cascaded down her face._

_She cried. She cried and cried… And an arm draped around her shoulders._

* * *

"Hey, Chihiro. Hey, hey!" Rin shook the sleeping girl's shoulder, "wake up you lazy bum!"

Chihiro's eyes shot open and found Rin's large marble eyes staring at her. "Ugh…" She blinked lazily, "but I'm so tired. Can't I have five more minutes?"

"Oh come on, get up!" Rin reached for Chihiro's arm and tried to drag her out of her futon. "Aghh you're hot! Why are huma- I mean, why are you so weak! We only had a few drinks!" Rin stood back up and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Clearly humans couldn't hold their liquor as well as the average spirit. It had been a long time since Rin slipped out for a drink and she had to admit she went a little overboard. She made a mental note to never have more than 3 rounds of drinks with the human in the future.

"I'll let Master Haku know. Meanwhile, you get some rest," Rin sighed. She knew she was going to get an earful from Haku later. Chihiro nodded and pulled the covers over her shoulders, too tired to speak.

"I'll be scrubbing the big tubs today. Master Haku's orders. If you need anything, go to the fourth floor, you'll find me there." Originally, she was supposed to share the load with Chihiro but it seems like it was a one-woman job now. When Aogeru gave her the "special order from Master Haku" that evening, she knew that this was his way of getting back at them for slipping into the markets. That's the trouble with having a quick witted dragon as your employer — you can never really keep anything from him.

The sound of Rin's footsteps softened and faded away as she left the room. When the sliding door closed with a click, Chihiro pulled the covers away from her face and stared at the ceiling. Her head felt heavy but she didn't feel like falling asleep again. She thought about her strange dream and the familiarity of the scene. Even now, as she lay in bed, she could taste the sweetness of the rice ball. _How silly of me. How strange._

As her mind wandered, she drifted to the conversation she had with Rin at dawn. After the second round of drinks, she was starting to get woozy but she could still remember fragments of their conversation…

* * *

"Mistress Rin, I've heard guests say Haku has a great sake collection… is it better than any of this?" Chihiro gestured to the empty bottles and glasses in front of them weakly.

"Ha! There aren't many establishments with _better_ sake than his. If there's anything the dragon has aplenty, it's cigars, sake, and the god damn women," Rin retorted.

"Women…"

"What's the matter?" Rin raised a brow at Chihiro.

"Master Haku… he's in love isn't he?" Chihiro rested her head on her hand and looked up at Rin.

"Well… it's none of my business," Rin tried to evade Chihiro's inquiring gaze. "Why, you bothered?"

Chihiro shook her head. Then nodded her head again.

"So what's that — a yes or a no?"

"It's nothing," Chihiro slurred. "You never tell me anything anyway…" She murmured something inaudible and rested her head on the table. "Don't think I'm stupid Rin… I-I may not look like much but I know you and Master Haku are hiding something from me."

"N-no…" Rin managed unconvincingly as she downed a glass of sake. She was a horrible liar.

Chihiro shrugged.

Rin sighed in resignation as she combed her fingers through her hair. It seemed like drunk Chihiro was more candid than sober Chihiro. She stole a look at the girl, and was surprised to find that Chihiro was genuinely upset.

"Well… fine. Let's gossip about our Master's scandalous love life!" Rin threw her hands up in the air. _If the dragon's not going to give this poor woman some clarity, then I will._

Almost immediately, Chihiro straightened. Her red rimmed eyes tried its best to focus on Rin.

"Ahem… So, let's start with the obvious," Rin began. "Our master has caught the attention of many ladies and all of them try to shoot their shot whenever they get the chance. But you know, like most competitions, there are the forerunners, namely— Hisae, Kaeda and Mai.

I'm sure you already know Lady Hisae. She's the daughter of the Great Willow Tree Spirit. Kaeda, an angelfish spirit, is currently one of our honoured guests. And then the Coral Spirit, Mai, will be visiting in a few weeks."

"Does Master Haku favour them more than the others?" Chihiro questioned.

"Hmm… I can't say he _favours_ them. It's just… it- Oh! Stupid lizard just makes it look that way," Rin rolled her eyes. "He thinks he can play these games but I've told him many times — it's gonna bite his ass in the end."

"I don't understand…" Chihiro pouted and lay her head on the table again.

"Well, listen Chihiro. You're going to hear lots of rumours in the bathhouse. Many will tell you that one of these ladies will become Haku's mate. And honestly… I think he might just choose to mate someone he doesn't really love."

"He doesn't love them? But he might mate one of them? Why?"

_Oh, I don't know, cause mating a human is close to impossible?_ "Well, cause I know he's a dumbass," Rin replied and quickly looked away but could feel Chihiro's curious eyes starring at her intensely. She took in a deep sigh and tried to find the right words so the girl would understand.

"Well… the thing is, Haku is the master of the bathhouse and he needs to… um… provide unique services for these ladies. He needs to attend to their whims and fancies, even if he doesn't like it. The ladies… they throw themselves at him but as the master, he can't simply deny them. It's his duty to keep peace and that means keeping them happy. Sometimes that also means… getting mated to someone he doesn't love.

"And you know what, it's said that during the coming festival, Haku is going to be choosing his mate because of… complex reasons we'll talk about another time. I can't believe I'm saying this but sometimes, I pity the lizard. I do… I really do…"

"Is Master Haku in love with anyone, then?" Chihiro asked timidly.

"Well…Yea…" Rin toyed with the rim of her glass.

"Can't he just choose to mate her? Who?"

"I can't tell you that Chihiro…" Rin looked over at the human girl apologetically, "it's not my place."

* * *

Chihiro tossed and turn in her futon. Even though her head felt heavy, she couldn't fall asleep. Her mind kept going back to the conversation with Rin. She didn't know why but that conversation felt important.

She sighed deeply and decided to get up and help Rin with the baths. She pulled tucked her hair neatly beneath the blue headscarf and went out. She waited patiently for the elevator to arrive. The door opened and she found herself face to face with the angel fish, Kaeda.

"My lady, I hope you're having an enjoyable stay" Chihiro greeted.

"Good evening Chihiro. Are you busy?"

"Um… actually I have to-"

"You're not? Good. Come," Kaeda forcefully pulled her into the elevator and pressed the button to her floor. "There are things I'd like to ask you…"


End file.
